Mr. President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee for her briefing. I welcome the permanent representatives of the DRC and Rwanda to this meeting.

China has consistently supported the DRC in its efforts to maintain peace and stability and to promote development and revitalization. In May this year, President Felix Tshisekedi was invited to visit China, injecting new impetus for China-DRC cooperation. Currently, the DRC is at a critical juncture in its political and peace processes. The international community should provide more support and assistance. I wish to emphasize the following points.

First, China strongly condemns the armed groups and their recent attacks on the displaced persons camps in the DRC and the Ugandan schools at the border with the DRC. We are concerned about the persistent threat posed by armed groups to the stability in the eastern DRC. In May this year, Secretary-General Guterres, together with regional national leaders, attended a summit of the Great Lakes region and called for the armed groups to cease hostilities. China urges the armed groups to immediately stop their violent activities, withdraw from the occupied areas, and join the DDR process. China commends the DRC, Uganda, and Burundi for their joint operations to address common threats. China notes the efforts made by the EAC, the SADC, and Angola to maintain the security of the eastern DRC and hopes that relevant operations will be better coordinated to effectively curb further deterioration of the situation.

Second, the DRC’s general elections at the end of the year bear on the national development and stability. China supports the DRC Government in advancing work in such areas as electoral legislation and voter registration, and expects all parties to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation to ensure the smooth holding of the general elections. The DRC still faces many difficulties and challenges in electoral preparation. China calls upon the international community and MONUSCO to respect the DRC’s sovereignty and ownership and provide more logistical and financial support.

Third, the peace and stability in the eastern DRC bears upon the overall security in the Great Lakes region. Last month, leaders of the Great Lakes region held in Burundi the summit for the tenth anniversary of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region. The meeting has forged consensus among regional countries to maintain stability in eastern DRC, strengthen common security, and deepen regional cooperation. China appreciates these efforts. We expect regional countries to take this meeting as an opportunity, bolster the roles of the Nairobi and Luanda processes, support regional countries in respecting each other's concerns, and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. China expects the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region Xia Huang to redouble his efforts in diplomatic good offices.

Mr. President,

China supports Special Representative Bintou Keita and MONUSCO for their work in such areas as maintaining stability of the eastern DRC, protecting civilians, and supporting the electoral process. For some time now, the relations between the Mission and the host country have become a relatively prominent issue. China encourages MONUSCO to strengthen communication with the DRC Government, maintain mutual trust and cooperation, and ensure the smooth and effective mandate delivery of the Mission. Recently, MONUSCO has had multiple exchanges with the DRC Government on the transition plan. The Security Council should give due regard to the needs of the DRC Government and its people, factor in the latest developments in the eastern DRC, and formulate MONUSCO’s mandate and future transitional arrangements in a science-based and rational manner. China looks forward to the Secretary-General's report to the Council next month and his pragmatic and reasonable proposal.

Thank you, Mr. President.