China urged the international community to take effective measures to eliminate racism on Monday at the 60th annual session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR), calling racism "a cancerous tumor" in the society. 

"Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance of all kinds are gross violations of human rights," said La Yifan, alternate representative of the Chinese delegation to the CHR session, which opened in Geneva Monday and will last until April 23.

"The Chinese delegation solemnly appeals to the international community, to the Western countries in particular, to pay adequate attention to the issue, to demonstrate their courage and determination by taking urgent and effective measures to eliminate racism," he said.  

"We also urge them to strengthen international cooperation, provide financial and technical assistance to the developing countries, promote the establishment of a new international political and economic order, and help the developing countries to resolve the problems of poverty and development," he added.

Although the international community has gradually come to realize the harmful effect of racism and has worked tirelessly for its elimination, and the United Nations has paid great attention to the issue since its founding in 1945, La said, racism is far from being eliminated.

Its new manifestations, such as the notorious neo-fascism, neo-nazism and discrimination against foreign immigrants, have been on the increase, challenging the international cause of human rights, he said. 

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2004)