UN General Assembly
1976

89. The thirty-first regular session of our General Assembly is taking place at a time when the world is still deeply affected by the death of one of the most distinguished statesmen to leave their imprint on the twentieth century, Chairman Mao Tsetung. My delegation wishes yet again to pay a sincere tribute to the memory of the helmsman of the Chinese people who made it possible for his country to become a modern, free and respected nation. The peoples of the third world will always be grateful for his constant unreserved support of their fight for liberation. The principle he taught, that one must rely first and foremost on one's own resources, has become a slogan for the Chinese people and a source of inspiration for the nations of the third world.