Sinophobia will lead to conflict, confrontation: Chinese envoy

Geng Shuang (L, Front), China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine in the context of Russophobia at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 14, 2023. The Chinese envoy warned Tuesday that Sinophobia by politicians will lead to conflict and confrontation. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy warned Tuesday that Sinophobia by politicians will lead to conflict and confrontation.

Just now, the briefers to the Security Council shared their views about Russophobia and its relationship with the Ukraine crisis, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. "I would like to take this opportunity to point out that for some time now, politicians in certain countries seem to have contracted the condition of Sinophobia."

Those politicians are full of prejudice and paranoia about China, peddling anxieties, and instigating tensions. Such Sinophobia is the result of misunderstanding about China, strategic misjudgment, and political manipulation, he told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine in the context of Russophobia.

A country's China policy, if kidnapped by Sinophobia, will only lead to the hardening of the zero-sum game mentality and containment and suppression, thus resulting in conflict and confrontation, said Geng.

"The world has already been thrown into chaos by the Ukraine crisis. Should another crisis be created to render the world beyond recognition?" he asked.

"With the development of human society to where it is today, we should be mature enough to be able to listen to different voices and embrace different ideas and different civilizations. The world is big enough for all countries to grow together and achieve progress together," he said.

"We believe that humanity is wise and capable enough to overcome various phobias and find a way of getting along with each other through dialogue instead of confrontation, and inclusiveness instead of exclusion. Together, we can build a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. China is ready to make unremitting efforts with all other countries to this end," Geng added.

To stop wars, there is a need to eliminate estrangement, prejudice and hatred, and sow the seeds of peace, solidarity, and friendship in people's hearts. Regrettably, however, there are a plethora of phobias against given countries, religions, and races in the world today, he said.

These phobias often become the logical premise and policy pretext with which certain countries create imaginary enemies, concoct threat theories, pursue containment and suppression, and stoke division and confrontation. Driven by such phobias, which are misguiding in the first place, differences are artificially magnified, disagreements hyped up, and tensions reinforced and perpetuated. As a result, the world is dragged into a quagmire of conflicts and disputes, Geng said.

On the Ukraine crisis, Geng called on the international community to promote peace talks.

The crisis has been dragging on for over a year. The prospects of a protracted and expanding conflict are deeply worrying. Since day one, China has been emphasizing that dialogue and negotiation are the only feasible way to resolve the crisis, he said.

The international community should stay on the right course of promoting peace talks and supporting Russia and Ukraine in resuming dialogue without any precondition as soon as possible, so as to achieve de-escalation and help the parties swiftly open the door to a political settlement and jointly maintain peace in Europe, he said.

Not long ago, China issued a paper on its position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis that contains 12 propositions. Building on that, China is ready to continue playing a constructive role in pushing for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, he said.

A UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine in the context of Russophobia is held at the UN headquarters in New York, on March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E)