Madam President,

I thank all the briefers for their briefings.

At present, the situation in Yemen remains complex and daunting. All parties concerned should adhere to the general direction of political settlement, remove interference, move toward each other, and work together to promote a comprehensive Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process. We urge all parties in Yemen to exercise restraint, avoid provoking escalation, and create a favorable atmosphere for the political process. China supports the efforts of Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and expects all parties, in particular countries with influence on the situation in Yemen, to play a constructive role.

China is concerned about tensions in the Red Sea and reiterates its call on the Houthis to respect the right of commercial vessels of all countries to navigate in the waters of the Red Sea in accordance with international law and to cease immediately relevant attacks. We call on the parties concerned to exercise restraint and refrain from actions that might exacerbate tensions. China reiterates that the Security Council has never authorized any country to use force against Yemen and that no country should misinterpret or abuse international law and UN Security Council resolutions.

Alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is a shared task of the international community. The conflict in Yemen has lasted for nine years, causing massive destruction of infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. More than four-fifths of the country's population are living in poverty, and more than 4.5 million school-aged children are unable to attend school. China calls on the international community to increase its investment in Yemeni humanitarian and development efforts, and looks forward to the early resumption of assistance program by the WFP in northern Yemen.

Madam President,

The tension in the Red Sea is a prominent manifestation of the spillover of the conflict in Gaza. Despite the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2728, which explicitly demands a ceasefire, the fighting continued unabated through the end of Ramadan, and the threat to regional peace and stability continues to grow. Israel should fulfill in good faith its obligations as a member state of the UN and fully implement the Council resolutions by immediately ceasing its military attacks on Gaza and ceasing its collective punishment of the Palestinian people. China supports the Security Council in taking further actions in light of the developments on the ground.

Thank you, Madam President.