UN envoy: Middle East pivotal to global stability

Peace and security in the Middle East extend beyond the region and affect global stability and development, China's envoy to the United Nations said Tuesday.

"China has always paid close attention to peace and security in the Middle East and has always adhered to an objective and impartial position and actively advocated for the establishment of a new security concept featuring common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable elements in an effort to build a community with a shared future for mankind," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council session at UN headquarters in New York.

Zhang emphasized that it is necessary to increase political solutions to regional hotspot issues, support the UN's role of mediator, promote dialogue and negotiations, and insist on upholding the legitimate rights and interests of all parties.

Zhang said the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of countries must be respected.

"China resolutely opposes the use of force or the threat of force, opposes external interference, and opposes power politics and bullying," he said.

He said the issue of Palestine is at the core of Middle East politics.

"Safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people is the common responsibility of the international community," he told the meeting.

"We should work together to deal with the threat of terrorism. The international community must … treat both the symptoms and the root causes, and resolutely fight terrorism and extremist forces," he said.

Zhang called for preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and for maintaining the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action limiting Iran's nuclear program, which the US withdrew from in 2018.

Zhang said responding to challenges in the Middle East is far beyond the power of one country.

He called for regional and sub-regional organizations such as the United Nations and the League of Arab States to deepen cooperation and consolidate and strengthen collective security mechanisms.

"We support regional countries to develop good, neighborly relationships on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs," he added.

"All parties should persist in resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, promote the downgrade of tensions, maintain regional security and international energy security, and avoid triggering new crises," he said.

"We welcome any dialogue initiative that will contribute to peace and security in the Middle East," he added.

In remarks to the council, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "Clearly, from Aleppo to Aden, from Tripoli to Teheran, greater cooperation in the Middle East is needed more than ever," he said. "We need fresh thinking to solve old problems."

Pompeo also accused Iran of continuing to develop its nuclear program.

Zhang said that China has always been committed to peace and stability in the Middle East.

Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China is helping provide development opportunities and platforms for the Middle East.

"China will continue to make unremitting efforts for the realization of lasting peace, stability, prosperity and development in the Middle East," he said.