President,  

I thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for her briefing. 

The continued fighting in Ukraine has resulted in an increasingly dire humanitarian situation and the constant risks of spillover effects. The prolonged conflict has brought significant sufferings to civilians on both sides and given rise to a serious humanitarian crisis. The continuation of war will only lead to more harm and destruction and make the regional and international situation even more volatile. 

Achieving an early ceasefire and seeking a political solution meet the interests of all parties. The priority now is to observe the three principles of no extension of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting, and no provocation by any party, so as to deescalate the situation as soon as possible. China once again calls on all parties to the conflict to remain calm and exercise restraint, effectively observe international law, in particular international humanitarian law, avoid targeting civilian and civilian infrastructure, and refrain from attacking nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities. We call on parties to the conflict to show political will, meet each other halfway, and launch peace talks without delay. We call on the international community to uphold an objective and just position and create favorable conditions for and facilitate the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two parties. 

President,  

China’s position on the Ukraine issue has been crystal clear and consistent, namely, promoting peace talks and advocating for a political settlement. We always maintain that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously, and all efforts conducive to peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. 

The more complicated the situation is, the more we must not give up hope for peace. The international community should uphold an objective and just position and send out positive and constructive messages by calling for a ceasefire and resumption of peace talks at an early date. China and Brazil jointly issued the six common understandings on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which is in line with the common aspirations of the vast majority of countries. Some other developing countries are also working for peace and promoting dialogue, and have put forward quite a number of good proposals and suggestions. China stands ready to stay closely engaged with the Global South and the countries concerned in order to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the crisis.

Thank you, President.

Second Round of Remarks by Ambassador Geng Shuang at the UN Security Council Briefing on Ukraine

President,  

I would like to respond briefly to the statement by the US representative. 

China’s position on the Ukraine issue has been crystal clear, namely, promoting peace talks and advocating for a political settlement. That's what we've been saying, and that’s what we’ve been doing. So far, all the efforts by China serve only one goal, that is peace. Our diplomatic efforts do not side with anyone or favor anyone. What we observe are the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. What we respect are the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. 

We hope that the US can make genuine efforts toward an early ceasefire, instead of constantly boasting about the large amount of weapons it has supplied to the battlefield, still less smear and attack the genuine efforts by China and other countries. 

Thank you, President.