I would like to congratulate you, Madam, on your country’s assumption of the rotating presidency of the Security Council for this month. China looks forward to successful meetings of the Security Council under your leadership. I would also like to express our appreciation to the Ambassador of the United Kingdom and his team for their work during their presidency of the Council last month, and commend their efforts.

China strongly condemns yesterday’s terrorist attack in Saint Petersburg. We express our deepest sorrow about the lives lost. We extend our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and our best wishes to the injured. China is firmly against terrorism in all its forms. We stand in resolute support of Russia in combating terrorism and are ready to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation with the rest of the international community.

China thanks the United States of America for convening today’s meeting. We have listened attentively to my good friend, Joint Special Representative Mr. Mamabolo. I would like to welcome Ambassador Mamabolo to his new capacity. China will actively support his work.

The current situation in Darfur is gradually improving. The Sudanese Government has announced a unilateral ceasefire in Darfur and made vigorous efforts to promote the peace process in an effort to maintain stability in Darfur and start reconstruction. China commends those efforts. The Darfur issue involves a multiplicity of factors such as the political security, development and humanitarian dimensions, and must be resolved in a comprehensive manner. Political settlement is both the foundation and the key. The international community must continue to support the mediation efforts of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel in order to provide immediate assistance to the Sudanese Government, the Darfur armed groups and oppositions in implementing the Roadmap Agreement and resolve differences through dialogue so as to seek a sustained and peaceful settlement of the Darfur issue. We hope that relevant donors can actively honor their commitments and assist the Sudanese Government in enhancing infrastructure development in Darfur in order to improve local development capacity and achieve sustained economic and social development in the region.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of UNAMID’s deployment. In the past 10 years, UNAMID has made tremendous efforts to promote the Darfur political process, maintain stability in Darfur and reconcile intercommunal differences. The United Nations, the African Union and the Sudanese Government hosted a joint working group meeting, which affirmed the progress achieved in the Darfur security situation and recommended the gradual withdrawal of UNAMID. China hopes that, while fully listening to the views of the Sudanese Government, the United Nations and the African Union can, on that basis, submit to the Council a report on a UNAMID drawdown.

The deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur is an innovative peace and security approach in Africa that was adopted by the two parties. It provides enlightening guidance to the Council’s approach to resolving flashpoint issues in Africa. It is a consistent belief that the Security Council should support Africa in resolving African issues, the African way, by giving full play to the strength and role of the African Union and other regional and subregional organizations in Africa and, by carrying out results-based cooperation in relation to specific situations in Africa in order form a synergy. The United Nations peacekeeping operation must follow the changing dynamics and the will of the host country and adjust its mandate and size in time. It will not just improve the mission’s efficiency and efficacy; it can also concentrate peacekeeping resources on countries with greater needs in order to optimize resource allocation, in particular African countries, so as to provide tangible assistance in promoting peace and stability in Africa.

China has continued to support the Darfur peace process and is one of UNAMID’s founding troop-contributing countries. The Chinese engineering unit was the first of the mission’s peacekeeping troop contingents to arrive in Darfur to perform its duties. Over the years, it has made a sterling contribution to maintaining stability in Darfur and to developing the mission. China is ready to join the rest of the international community and continue to play a constructive role in restoring peace, stability and development in Darfur.

(Photo by Li Muzi, Xinhua News Agency)