President,

I thank the briefers for their briefings and welcome the representative of Yemen to today’s meeting. 

China has always maintained that the Yemeni issue should be resolved by diplomatic and political means. All relevant parties should stay committed to the overall direction of a political solution, make efforts to meet each other halfway, and continue to accumulate consensus, so as to jointly promote the Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned comprehensive political process and resolve conflicts and disputes through dialogue and negotiation. China supports the mediation efforts of Special Envoy Grundberg and expects all parties, in particular those countries with influence on Yemen, to play a constructive role. In this regard, we call on the Yemeni Government and the Houthis to jointly promote the implementation of their agreement on financial and aviation issues. 

We are concerned about the attacks on the oil tanker MV Sounion in the Red Sea and the possible consequent oil spill and potential ecological and environmental impacts. We once again call on the Houthis to respect the rights of navigation of all merchant ships in the Red Sea in accordance with international law, stop causing disturbance, and maintain the safety of shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The relevant parties should exercise restraint, stop any action that exacerbates tensions, and work to cool down the situation. 

At present, many governorates in Yemen are stricken by severe floods, making the already dire humanitarian situation even worse. The international community should increase its humanitarian assistance efforts for Yemen. China is seriously concerned over the detention of UN personnel in Yemen, and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel. 

President, 

The tension in the Red Sea is a manifestation of the spillover of the Gaza conflict. It has been 11 months since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, and we have yet to see any hope for peace. The negative impacts of the conflict are fueling regional turmoil. China once again calls for the comprehensive implementation of all relevant Council resolutions and an immediate and durable ceasefire in Gaza. China supports the Council in taking further actions to put an end to the fight and save lives. We are ready to work with all parties to make unremitting efforts to find a political solution to the Yemeni issue and uphold peace and stability in the Middle East. 

Thank you, Mr. President.