Madam President, 

I thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing. In light of the current situation of the Ukraine crisis, China wishes to stress the following points. 

First, every effort must be made to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. For some time now, the fighting in Ukraine has continued to escalate with an ever clearer trend of expansion and significantly greater uncertainties. The destruction of Kakhovka dam once again reminds us that if the fighting is left to drag on, there will only be more major risks, and any horrible scenario could materialize. We hope that both parties to the conflict will stay calm and exercise restraint, and that the international community will refrain from escalating the tensions, in particular, strictly safeguard the bottom line of nuclear safety and stay far away from the red line of nuclear war. Everything must be done to avoid a point of no return. 

Second, every effort must be made to alleviate the suffering of the people. China once again calls upon the parties concerned to strictly abide by international humanitarian law, strictly fulfill the obligations to protect civilians, guarantee the safety of women, children, and other vulnerable groups, and respect the basic rights of prisoners of war. We encourage the international community and humanitarian agencies to step up their assistance to populations affected by the crisis on the basis of adhering to the principles governing humanitarian aid. 

Third, every effort must be made to manage the spillover effects. China is seriously worried about the impacts of the Ukraine crisis on the recovery of the world economy, and in particular, the attainment by developing countries of the SDGs in the post-pandemic era. We call upon all parties to join efforts to reduce the negative impact of the crisis, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and urge relevant countries to immediately lift the so-called unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. The Black Sea Grain Initiative should be implemented in a balanced, comprehensive, and effective manner, and the MoU signed between the UN and Russia should be implemented in earnest. 

Fourth, every effort must be made to promote dialogue and negotiation. Recently, a peace delegation consisting of the leaders of six African countries, including South Africa, visited Ukraine and Russia. China welcomes this. We hope that countries in the world that love peace and uphold justice will send rational messages in promotion of peace talks. However significant the difficulties are, the door to the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis must not be closed. Efforts to stop the fighting and promote talks must not relent. And the process of diplomatic negotiations must not stall. It is important for all parties to enhance engagement, build consensus, form the broadest common ground, and gradually accumulate and create conditions for the final settlement of the crisis. 

Madam President, 

On the Ukraine issue, China has always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be upheld, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, the legitimate security concerns of all parties should be valued, and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported. China will continue to work with the international community and play an active and constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Ukraine issue. 

Thank you, Madam President.