President,

China welcomes the convening of this informal interactive dialogue. I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Assistant Secretary-General Manzalah for their briefings, and I have listened carefully to the important statements by the Foreign Ministers of the Arab League Troika.

For more than eight decades, the League of Arab States has been committed to promoting unity and self-reliance among Arab countries and safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East. China supports closer cooperation between the Security Council and the League of Arab States, supports a greater role for the League in regional security affairs, and encourages regional approaches to addressing regional issues.

Today, conflicts and tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate in succession, with security alerts sounding one after another. This highlights the persistent security predicament facing the region. Recent developments once again demonstrate that the existing security architecture in the Middle East is inadequate and needs to be reformed and strengthened. To this end, President Xi Jinping has put forward four proposals for promoting common security in the Middle East, calling on countries in the region to embrace a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security vision and build a new security architecture for the Middle East.

Building a new security architecture for the Middle East requires tapping the endogenous momentum for common security in the region. The recurring conflicts in the Middle East have complex historical roots as well as contemporary factors arising from external interference. The Middle East belongs to the people of the Middle East, and the countries of the region should have the primary say in their own security affairs. The international community should fully respect the independent choices of countries in the region, support the people of the Middle East in determining their own future, and oppose external interference. Countries in the region are neighbors who cannot move away from one another. The greater the differences and disputes among neighbors, the more they need to engage and communicate with each other. We support countries in the region in strengthening dialogue on peace and security, exploring ways to reshape the regional security architecture, and firmly keeping their future and destiny in their own hands.

Building a new security architecture for the Middle East requires advancing comprehensive governance for common security in the region. The Middle East faces numerous hotspots that are closely interconnected and therefore calls for comprehensive solutions. The Palestinian question remains at the heart of the Middle East issue. All parties concerned, Israel in particular, should earnestly and fully implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The international community should take irreversible steps to advance the two-State solution and realize, at an early date, the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. We encourage the United States and Iran to exercise rationality and restraint, return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding at an early date, and rebuild the negotiating mechanism on the basis of the consensus reached thus far. China welcomes Syria’s return to the Arab family and calls on the Syrian side to advance an inclusive political process and effectively fulfill its international counter-terrorism obligations, including combating the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). We support Lebanon in safeguarding its sovereignty, and call for the proper handling of the mandate arrangements for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), so as to prevent a security vacuum. China does not wish to see regional tensions spill over further into Yemen and the Red Sea. We respect the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of all parties, including Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and call on all parties to refrain from further complicating the situation and resolve differences through dialogue and negotiations.

Building a new security architecture for the Middle East requires laying a solid foundation of development for common security in the region. Fundamentally, lasting peace and stability in the Middle East depend on development. Continued tensions in the Middle East and the Gulf are seriously undermining the development and stability of countries in the region and the Global South. China urges all parties to take effective measures to ensure the early restoration of safe and normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz and safeguard the stability of global trade and production and supply chains. The navigational rights of merchant vessels of all countries in the Red Sea, in accordance with international law, should be respected. The international community should deepen development cooperation with countries in the Middle East, help conflict-affected countries restore livelihoods at an early date, promote greater convergence of interests among countries in the region, and gradually build mutual trust and remove the underlying causes of conflict.

Building a new security architecture for the Middle East requires strengthening international justice in support of common security in the region. The UN Charter and international law provide the fundamental basis for addressing Middle East affairs. The international community, particularly major powers from outside the region, should reject double standards, genuinely respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region, and play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace and stability. The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It should uphold an objective and impartial position and take responsible action to promote regional peace and common security. We look forward to Arab countries drawing on their unique religious, historical and cultural strengths, continuing to work in coordination with the Security Council and the international community, and injecting positive momentum into efforts to restore peace in the region.

President,

China and the Arab countries share a friendship that spans a millennium and has grown stronger with the passage of time. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Arab countries. Over the past 70 years, China and the Arab countries have traversed an extraordinary journey together, and China-Arab relations have achieved leapfrog development, setting an example for building a community with a shared future for humanity. China stands ready to work with Arab countries to deepen strategic mutual trust, firmly support each other, share development opportunities, strengthen international cooperation, and make greater contributions to building a China-Arab community with a shared future and advancing peace and development in the region.

Thank you, President.