President,

I thank Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for their briefings. I welcome Mr. Asaad Hasan Al-Shaibani as well as the representatives of Iran, Libya, and Türkiye at today’s meeting.

At present, the situation in Syria is at a critical stage. China attaches great attention to the development of the situation in Syria and sincerely hopes that, with the help of the international community, Syria will restore stability as soon as possible and embark on a path of peace and development.

China looks forward to a broad and inclusive political tradition in Syria. For some time now, all parties in Syria have made efforts to promote a political transition. China hopes that, in the long-term interests of the country and its people, the parties concerned will achieve reconciliation through dialogue and consultation and find a reconstruction plan in line with the will of the people. In this process, the principles of Security Council Resolution 2254 should be implemented, and the rights of all Syrian people should be guaranteed. China supports the UN in playing a role in Syria’s political transition and calls on all parties to actively support Special Envoy Pedersen in his duties. Last month, indiscriminate killings of civilians took place along the Syrian coastal region. We expect the Syrian interim authorities to advance investigations in a transparent and responsible manner, timely release the results, and accept the oversight of the international community.

The frequent terrorist activities in Syria are a source of concern. The presidential statement adopted by the Council last month emphasized the serious threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters to Syrian and regional security, and reaffirmed the unanimous position on combating FTFs. The Council’s resolutions on counter-terrorism must be fully and effectively implemented. There can be no double standards on counter-terrorism, and any sheltering or condoning will ultimately lead to disaster. We urge the Syrian interim authorities to effectively fulfill its counter-terrorism obligations and take all measures to combat all Council-listed terrorist organizations, including the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party.

Syria faces a dire humanitarian situation and the acute challenge of under-funding. According to the latest UN data, 90% of Syrian families are in poverty, the expected cereal production this year is less than previous years, and the return of more than 400,000 refugees from overseas has further elevated humanitarian needs. Traditional donors should step up their humanitarian assistance to Syria.

China strongly condemns Israel’s frequent air strikes against southern Syria. The sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria must be respected. The Golan Heights is recognized by the international community as occupied Syrian territory. The 1974 disengagement agreement should be respected. Foreign forces should end their illegal military presence in Syria.

Lastly, I would like to reiterate that China has long pursued a policy of friendly cooperation with Syria, has never interfered in Syria’s internal affairs, and has always respected the choice of the Syrian people. We are ready to work with the international community to continue our unremitting efforts to promote long-term peace and stability in Syria and to restore peace and stability to the Middle East.

Thank you, President.