President,

I congratulate Greece on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. The Chinese delegation will extend its full cooperation to you and your colleagues. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend France for its work during its presidency last month. I thank Special Representative Parfait Onanga-Anyanga and the representative of the African Union for their briefings.

Africa is vast in territory, rich in resources, and home to hardworking people. It enjoys strong economic growth momentum and is accelerating its efforts to seek strength through unity. Africa is becoming an important pole with global influence. The partnership between the United Nations and the African Union is a model of multilateral cooperation and has played an important role in promoting peace, stability, and development in Africa. At present, transformation and turbulence are intertwined in the international landscape, geopolitical conflicts remain protracted, development gaps continue to widen, and global challenges keep emerging. African countries need sustained support from the United Nations and the international community in realizing the goal of Silencing the Guns and exploring paths to modernization suited to their national conditions. I would like to make three points.

First, we must pursue political solutions to hotspot issues and jointly promote peace and stability in Africa. In recent years, tensions in the Horn of Africa have remained complex and difficult to resolve, conflicts in the Great Lakes region have recurred, and violent terrorism in the Sahel remains a prominent challenge. The international community should support African solutions to African problems and encourage African countries to embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. We should help African countries strengthen their independent security capabilities, support the implementation of Security Council resolution 2719, and increase financial support for African Union-led peace support operations. The sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of African countries should be fully respected, and constructive efforts should be made to promote regional stability, mutual trust, and cooperation. China supports the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council in using their annual consultations as an opportunity to jointly explore effective ways to end hostilities and violence and achieve lasting peace and stability on the African continent.

Second, we must increase investment in Africa’s development and support its prosperity and revitalization. Development should always be placed at the center of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union. We should support greater alignment between the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, increase investment in key areas such as poverty reduction, food security, energy transition, education, health care, employment, and people’s livelihoods, and eliminate at the source the breeding grounds for conflict. Developed countries should earnestly fulfill their commitments on development financing and climate finance and stop improper practices such as withdrawing funding and cutting off supplies. We should help African countries strengthen capacity building in artificial intelligence, bridge the digital and intelligent divide, and support Africa in accelerating sustainable development.

Third, we must reform and improve global governance and support Africa in achieving self-reliance and self-strengthening. African countries account for about one quarter of the world’s countries and around one fifth of the global population, making Africa an important emerging force in shaping global governance. China has consistently maintained that the historical injustices suffered by Africa must be redressed and that Africa’s representation and voice in international affairs should be enhanced. The international financial architecture should be reformed and improved to better reflect changes in the global economic landscape. We should eliminate the negative impact of the legacy of colonialism on Africa, oppose interference in internal affairs, the abuse of sanctions, the plundering of resources, and other such practices, uphold the international rule of law, fairness, and justice, and make the global governance system more just and equitable.

President,

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries. Over the past 70 years, no matter how the international landscape has changed, China has always regarded Africa as a priority in its diplomacy and has always stood firmly with African countries. China-Africa friendship transcends mountains and oceans and has grown stronger over time. The peoples of China and Africa have stood together through thick and thin and fought side by side, writing a magnificent chapter of solidarity and cooperation in the Global South.

President Xi Jinping has successively put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, all of which have received positive responses and broad support from African countries. Since the beginning of this year, China has fully implemented zero-tariff treatment for all African countries having diplomatic relations with China, provided timely assistance to Africa in fighting the Ebola outbreak, and carried out a rich variety of activities under the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. New progress has continued to be made in building the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. China stands ready to continue working with all parties, support stronger cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union through concrete actions, and help Africa better achieve peace and development.

Thank you, President.