(Photograph by Bai Jie/Xinhua News Agency)

Mr. President,

Thank you for convening today's meeting. I wish to thank Mr. Edmund Mulet, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Haiti, for his briefing. I also welcome H.E.Mr.Jean Bellerive for his presence at the meeting.

The powerful earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12 caused unprecedented damage and disaster, and has presented new difficulties and challenges to the commitment of the UN Security Council to the stabilization process in Haiti．We are saddened by the heavy losses suffered by MINUSTAH during the earthquake. We commend Mr. Mullet and all the MINUSTAH personnel for their courage, dedication and sacrifice.

As a Chinese saying goes, "when trouble occurs at one spot, help comes from all quarters". Over the past three months, the international outpouring of support, sympathy and generosity into Haiti has never ceased. Following the earthquake, the Chinese Government lost no time in providing various kinds of assistance to Haiti and has made vigorous efforts to help the Haitian Government and people weather the difficulties. We are gratified to see the post-disaster security situation in Haiti remaining calm and the steady progress being made in relief and recovery efforts. We are convinced that, under the leadership of the Haitian government and with the support and assistance of the international community, the government and people of Haiti will soon build back better, heal the wounds and create a bright future of peace, stability and sustainable development.

Mr. President,

The post-disaster situation and reconstruction in Haiti is at the center of international attention. We support the United Nations and the international community in continuing to support and assist Haiti in its effort to achieve stability and carry out reconstruction as soon as possible. The recovery and reconstruction in Haiti will be a long, arduous and challenging process. All parties need to fully respect the sovereignty of Haiti and ensure that the Haitian Government and people play a leading role in the Haitian stabilization and reconstruction process. The United Nations should continue to play an important coordinating role in the stabilization process in Haiti and in the international endeavor to assist the country in its post-disaster reconstruction.

We appreciate the report (S/2010/200) submitted by the Secretary-General a few days ago and take note of the recommendations regarding the future role of MINUSTAH. We also understand that some parties concerned hope that the United Nations provides more support and assistance to promote political stability, maintain security, support elections and rule of law, and rebuild state capacity of Haiti．We are of the view that the major organs and agencies of the United Nations, relevant regional organizations and major donors should perform their respective duties within the framework of their mandates．At the same time, there should be a clear division of labor and enhanced coordination to avoid duplication of labor and waster of resources.

Mr. President,

Over the past five years and more, MINUSTAH has made significant contribution to the security and stability of Haiti. Under the current circumstances, the important role of MINUSTAH in the stabilization process of Haiti is self-evident. We are in favor of strengthening the capacity of MINUSTAH so that it can better perform its current mandate. As MINUSTAH is a peace-keeping mission, its core function is to safeguard security and stability of Haiti. With regard to promoting Haiti's political stability,rebuilding its state capacity and supporting elections and rule of law, the Mission may provide appropriate support and assistance within its mandate and capacity. But it should refrain from taking on everything while deviating from its central task of peacekeeping operations. As authorized by Security Council Resolution 1908,the forces level of MINUSTAH has been increased by a total of 3,500. The full deployment of such additional forces takes more time. With regard to the issue of further increase of police and reconfiguration of MINUSTAH's military component, we deem it necessary that the Security Council and DPKO have a comprehensive assessment and take a prudential approach. We also hope the United Nations will soon restore the facilities of MINUSTAH to ensure the safety and security of its staff.

Thank you, Mr. President.