Madame President,

I would like to thank SRSG Ms Leila Zerrougi and Mr Utembi, President of CENCO for their briefings. We have also listened attentively to the remarks by Ms Solange Lwashiga Furaha, civil society representative.

Peace, stability and the political process in the DRC has drawn a great deal of attention from the international community, particularly regional countries. The recent situation in the DRC has been stable in general, and the preparation for the upcoming election has been moving forward. The Security Council should fully recognize and support this progress and provide constructive assistance to the country. The forthcoming election is a critical step in the political process of the DRC. The support provided by the international community should be based on respecting the country's real needs and consistent with the realities on the ground.

3.China always believes that political means is the only solution to the DRC issue. The Security Council should continue to support the African Union, the ICGLR and other regional and subregional organizations, and regional countries in their roles as primary mediators and encourage organizations and regional countries to enhance communication and engagement with the Congolese parties in their respective ways, especially to listen to the views of the DRC government, and respect its ownership of the political process. This will push the parties back to the track of political settlement through dialogue and negotiation, and effectively implement the political agreement of December 31st 2016.

While providing assistance to the DRC, the international community must fully respect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. It is important to assist the country in building up its security capacity and achieving peace and stability through its own efforts. MONUSCO should carry out its work in strict accordance with its mandate and increase consultations with the government of the DRC.

China has always been engaged in issues concerning peace and security in Africa in an active and constructive way, and has been supporting African countries in seeking African solutions to African issues. The 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing on September 3 and 4 under the theme of "China-Africa: Toward an Even Stronger Community with a Shared Future Through Win-win Cooperation". Leaders from China and Africa will meet in Beijing to discuss strategies and plans for future cooperation and propose new measures for enhanced China-Africa all-round cooperation.