President,

China abstained in the vote on the draft resolution. Our vote reflects the consistency of China’s position. I wish to explain the following. 

First, the Red Sea is a vital international trade route. Safeguarding the security of navigation in the Red Sea is a shared responsibility of all parties. All parties should respect the right of commercial vessels of all countries to navigate in the Red Sea under international law and oppose attacks on and detention of commercial vessels, so as to jointly uphold the international trade order.

Second, the basis of Secretary-General's submission of reports to the Security Council on attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea is Council Resolution 2722 adopted in January 2024. Regretfully, following the adoption of the Resolution, certain countries undertook military actions against Yemen, which severely undermined the Yemeni peace process and heightened security risks in the Red Sea. We reiterate that Council resolutions should not be misinterpreted or abused, the UN Charter must be strictly observed, and Yemen's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity should be fully respected.

Third, the parties to the Yemeni issue should meet each other halfway, adhere to the Yemeni-owned and Yemeni-led principle, and advance the resumption of the Yemen peace process. The situations in Yemen and the Red Sea are closely linked to the conflict in Gaza. We call for the full implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, the genuine realization of a lasting ceasefire, and the early implementation of the two-State solution, so as to promote an early, comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question, and to create conditions for the restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East.

Thank you, President.