President, 

I would like to thank Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for their briefings. In light of the current situation, I would like to make three points. 

First, to firmly uphold Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call on the parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and make concrete efforts to maintain the stability of regional countries, including Syria. We urge Israel to cease its attacks on Syria and the foreign forces to end their illegal military presence in Syria. And we expect major powers outside the region to play a constructive role in easing the situation in the region. 

Second, to uphold the overall direction of a political solution to the Syrian issue. China supports Special Envoy Pedersen’s efforts to continue to work with all parties in line with the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned principle, and looks forward to the collaboration of the existing dialogue mechanisms, which, based on communication and consultations with the Syrian Government, will give impetus to a political solution. A stable political process cannot be achieved without a favorable security environment. China supports the Syrian Government’s intensified counter-terrorism efforts and calls on the international community to join forces in line with international law and the Security Council resolutions to combat terrorist forces within Syria with zero tolerance. 

Third, to fundamentally improve the humanitarian situation in Syria. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Syrian Government and the UN. the cross-border relief mechanism has been in stable operation. We urge the parties concerned to demonstrate flexibility and make efforts to resume cross-line relief operations. We call on donors to follow through on their aid commitments and to guarantee that humanitarian projects throughout Syria are adequately funded. Unilateral sanctions and illegal plundering seriously weaken Syria’s ability to recover economically and develop socially, and therefore must be stopped immediately. 

Thank you, President.