26 September 2012

Mr. President,

I am glad to attend the High-level Meeting of the Security Council on Peace and Security in the Middle East, and it is good to see you, Minister Guido Westerwelle, chair the meeting.

The Middle East is undergoing unprecedented changes. The political, economic and social impact of the international financial crisis on this region is unfolding. People in the region have shown a stronger desire to run their affairs independently and seek change. Some countries are in a state of turmoil while some others have entered a critical stage of political transition and transformation. Regional hotspot issues have become more severe, local conflicts have increased, and extremist and terrorist forces have intensified their infiltration efforts. Traditional and non-traditional security issues are entwined, exerting a greater impact on the region. In short, the situation in the Middle East has become more complex and fragile and attracted wide attention from the international community.

Peace, stability and development in the Middle East represent the shared aspiration of all people in the region and serve the common interests of the entire international community. Middle East affairs should be addressed mainly by people in the region, and the future and destiny of the region should be held in the hands of its own people. The international community should respect the aspirations and calls of people in the region for change and development, respect the distinctive religious and cultural features of the region, pay attention to the voice of countries and people in the region on issues related to the Middle East, and urge the parties concerned to work out appropriate solutions through inclusive political processes and strike a right balance between reform, stability and development in order to achieve durable peace and common prosperity.

The Palestinian issue remains at the core of the Middle East issue. With drastic changes in the regional landscape, it is all the more imperative for the international community to recognize the importance and urgency of relaunching peace talks between Palestine and Israel. The international community should adopt a more active and constructive stance to promote peace talks and urge both the Palestinians and Israelis to take concrete steps to remove obstacles to peace talks, rebuild mutual trust, resume talks and make substantive progress at an early date. Israel should undertake the responsibility of taking the first step. China supports the Palestinian people in establishing, on the basis of the 1967 borders, an independent Palestinian state that enjoys full sovereignty with East Jerusalem as its capital. We support Palestine's membership in the United Nations and other international organizations.

The Syrian issue concerns not only the future and destiny of Syria and its people, but also overall peace and stability in the Middle East. The crisis in Syria remains unresolved and the situation is worrying. In the face of the complex and grave situation, the international community must have even stronger faith in peace and stay on the right track of seeking a political solution. We should support Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, in conducting impartial mediation and urge all parties in Syria to earnestly implement relevant Security Council resolutions, Mr. Kofi Annan's six-point plan and the communique of the foreign ministers' meeting of the Action Group for Syria, put an immediate end to fighting and violence, protect civilians and create conditions for a Syrian-led political transition. As a permanent member of the Security Council, China has faithfully fulfilled its obligations and acted as a positive force in seeking a political solution to the issue. China is ready to join the rest of the international community in an unremitting effort to resolve the Syrian issue in a just, peaceful and appropriate way.

The Iranian nuclear issue has a significant bearing on the development of the situation in the Middle East. China opposes development and possession of nuclear weapons by any country in the Middle East. At the same time, we believe that the international community should respect the right of a country to peaceful use of nuclear energy. China maintains that dialogue and cooperation is the only right way to address the Iranian nuclear issue and it is ill-advised to resort to force or unilateral sanctions. The parties concerned should have firm confidence and remain committed to a diplomatic solution and, at the same time, be flexible and pragmatic, seek common ground while overcoming differences, work for early progress in dialogue and negotiations and, over time, achieve a comprehensive, long-term and proper solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Mr. President,

Peace, stability and development of the Middle East would not be possible without the support and assistance of regional and international organizations. The UN Charter entrusts the Security Council with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. At the same time, in Chapter Eight of the UN Charter, the founders of the UN also encouraged pacific settlement of local disputes through regional arrangements. The League of Arab States is an important multilateral organization in the Middle East. Over the years, it has played an active role in upholding the lawful rights and interests of the Arab people, enhancing solidarity among Arab states and promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond. Under the current circumstances, it is of both practical significance and far-reaching strategic importance for the UN and the Arab League to step up communication and cooperation and jointly safeguard peace, stability and development in the Middle East.

Closer cooperation between the UN and the Arab League should be based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including sovereign equality and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, constitute basic norms governing international relations and important guidelines for addressing hotspot issues. In carrying out cooperation, the UN and the Arab League should aim to uphold these principles, safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of people of all countries in the Middle East and maintain peace and stability in the region.

Closer cooperation between the UN and the Arab League should focus on peaceful settlement of disputes. History has shown time and again that settling disputes through such diplomatic means as dialogue and negotiation is the only right and effective way to achieve durable peace. As a regional organization, the Arab League has a unique and important role to play in encouraging countries in the region to settle disputes through mediation, negotiation, good offices and other peaceful means. The UN should encourage the Arab League to keep to the course of political settlement, build consensus and coordinate the efforts of countries in the region in order to ease the situation and achieve peace and stability.

Closer cooperation between the UN and the Arab League should follow a holistic approach. This is of crucial importance. The causes of turbulence and conflicts in the Middle East are mostly related to people's livelihood and ethnic and religious factors. The UN and the Arab League should pay more attention and give more support to economic and social development in the region, help the region achieve development and improve people's lives and encourage different ethnic groups and religions to show mutual tolerance, achieve reconciliation and live in harmony so as to remove the economic and social breeding ground for turbulence and extremist thinking.

Mr. President,

China is a good friend and good partner of the Arab countries and people. We firmly support and help promote their just cause. On issues of peace and security in the Middle East, China has always fulfilled its obligations in a constructive way. We stand for peace and oppose war. We stand for equality and oppose power politics. We stand for principles and oppose interference. And we stand for dialogue and oppose confrontation. Bearing in mind the fundamental and long-term interests of the people in the Middle East, China has made its own efforts to advance peace, stability and development in the region. China will, as always, take a constructive part in the mediation and settlement of the hotspot issues in the Middle East, support the UN and its Security Council in continuing to play an important role in addressing the Middle East issue and help put this region on a path of peace, stability, economic prosperity and social progress at an early date.

Thank you, Mr. President.