Chinese envoy urges early end to political stalemate in Haiti

UNITED NATIONS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China's permanent representative to the United Nations on Thursday urged for a resolution to the political stalemate in Haiti, emphasizing the importance of fully respecting the decisions made by the Haitian people.

Without a legitimate, effective, and responsible government in place, any external efforts to address the crisis in Haiti will hardly have any lasting effects, Zhang Jun told a Security Council meeting, noting the situation in the country has continued to deteriorate since the council's last meeting on Haiti.

"The fundamental way out of the Haitian crisis lies in advancing the political transition process," he said. "Under the current circumstances, this is even more urgent than ever."

Curbing the rise of gang violence and creating a security environment guaranteeing the most basic safety and security are the necessary prerequisites for alleviating the humanitarian situation and advancing the political process in Haiti, said Zhang.

He said Security Council Resolution 2653, adopted last year, provides an important tool for fighting gang violence and should be fully utilized.

"China believes that the Security Council should immediately take a decision requesting all countries to take all necessary measures to stop arms trafficking at the sources and to jointly cut off the access of Haitian gangs to firearms and ammunition," said the envoy.

He underscored that any external support plans should be based on the wishes and consensus of the Haitian people and should fully respect the ownership of the Haitian people.

"China hopes that the Haitian authorities will effectively shoulder their responsibilities and, with the support of the international community, find a feasible solution to achieve Haiti's long-term peace, stability and sustainable development," he said.