Chinese envoy warns against risk of Ukraine crisis going out of control

UNITED NATIONS, July 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday warned against the risk of the Ukraine crisis going out of control.

Since its outbreak, the Ukraine crisis has increasingly shown signs of protraction, expansion, and complexity with ever more cruelty, danger, and unpredictability. The international community should work together to prevent the situation from getting out of control, achieve a cessation of hostilities at an early date and promote political settlement, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

The evolution of the battlefield shows that military means cannot solve the crisis. And the protraction of the conflict will only bring more suffering to civilians and may even lead to unpredictable and irreparable situations, he told the UN Security Council. "No matter how long the crisis lasts, it must eventually be solved through political means."

The two parties to the conflict should meet each other halfway, explore solutions that accommodate each other's concerns, that correspond to regional realities, and that can help bridge differences. The international community should work together to create the necessary conditions for a ceasefire and create a favorable atmosphere for peace talks, he said.

The Ukraine crisis is a major outbreak of security problems in Europe, he said. "The crisis once again proves that the pursuit of absolute security, inciting bloc confrontation, and expanding military alliance are outdated ways of thinking and dangerous practices that will only bring turmoil and anxiety to Europe and the whole world. The key to the ultimate solution is to uphold a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept and to promote a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture."

Geng stressed the importance of controlling the spillover effects of the crisis.

The recovery of the world economy after the pandemic has been difficult. The Ukraine crisis, on top of other factors, has dealt a severe blow to global development, bringing fragility to global food, energy, and financial security. As a result, developing countries face more difficulties in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, he said.

The international community should devote its financial resources to addressing common global challenges. Certain countries should immediately stop unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, ensure safe and smooth global industrial chains and supply chains, increase support and assistance to developing countries and do more things that are conducive to economic growth, he said.

Millions of people have been displaced by the protracted conflict and key infrastructure was destroyed. Parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law; strictly follow the principles of necessity, differentiation, and proportionality; protect civilians and civilian infrastructure; provide rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, so as to reduce the suffering of civilians. China encourages the international community and humanitarian agencies, on the basis of abiding by the principle of humanitarian relief, to step up humanitarian assistance to people affected by the crisis, said Geng.

The irresponsible transfer of cluster bombs can easily give rise to humanitarian issues. Humanitarian concerns and legitimate military security needs should be handled in a balanced way. Prudence and restraint should be exercised in the transfer of cluster bombs, he said.

Nuclear safety and security must be ensured, he said.

China calls on both parties to the conflict to remain rational and maintain restraint as much as possible, abide by nuclear safety protocols and international law to avoid man-made nuclear accidents. China supports the International Atomic Energy Agency in continuing to maintain contact with all parties and playing a constructive role in ensuring the safety and security of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, he said.

China has always maintained that nuclear weapons should not be used and that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought. China has been calling for all efforts to prevent the escalation of conflict into a nuclear crisis, he said.

On the issue of Ukraine, China has always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be safeguarded, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld, and the legitimate security concerns of all parties should be respected, all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should deserve support, he said.

In February this year, China released its position paper on the political solution to the Ukrainian crisis. China will continue to use this as a basis to promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, together with the international community, he said.