(June 17, 10:00 AM, Tempus )
Madam President:
Thank you for convening this plenary meeting. China is highly concerned about Israel’s recent large-scale attack on Iran, which damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities and caused casualties. We are deeply worried about the potential consequences of such military actions.
Israel violated the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic norms of international relations, infringed on Iran’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and brutally attacked Iranian officials, scientists and caused civilian casualties. In particular, Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities is a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Statute, which has potentially catastrophic implications. China condemns Israel’s actions, supports Iran in defending its sovereignty, legitimate interests, and ensuring the safety of its people, and opposes armed attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities.
Madam President,
On June 14, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held phone conversations with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts respectively, urging all parties to act prudently and avoid actions that could lead to a spiral of escalation. Both Israel and Iran are important countries in the Middle East, and their relationship bears on the overall situation of war and peace in the Middle East. The region cannot remain forever under the shadow of conflict, nor should all regional countries continue to live in anxiety about war. Force cannot bring lasting peace, and only by upholding the vision of common security can the legitimate concerns of all parties be thoroughly addressed. The urgent task is to immediately take measures to avoid the escalation of the conflict and prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil, particularly by halting attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities and upholding the bottom line and red line against severe nuclear security accidents.
Madam President,
China consistently advocates for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means, rejecting the use of force and illegal unilateral sanctions. At present, the international community is still seeking a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, and diplomatic means have not been exhausted. Iran’s commitment not to seek to develop nuclear weapons and to cooperate with the IAEA should be highly valued, while Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a State Party to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) must be respected, and the safety and security of its nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA should be effectively guaranteed. China urges Israel and Iran to resolve differences through dialogue and seek ways of peaceful coexistence, and calls on relevant parties to uphold fairness and justice to steer the issue back to the diplomatic track.
Madam President,
Recent developments in the Middle East demonstrates that promoting the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction is conducive to achieving the goals of non-proliferation, easing tensions in the Middle East, and will provide an important mechanism for guaranteeing lasting peace and stability in the region. While promoting reconciliation and cooperation in the Middle East and facilitating the Middle East peace process, the international community must address legitimate security concerns of regional countries against WMD threats. The nuclear weapons States and regional actors should fulfill their responsibilities and actively participate in the process of establishment of such a zone in the Middle East.
China has consistently approached and handled regional hot-spot issues based on the merits of the matter itself. We stand ready to work with all parties concerned to actively support and participate in political and diplomatic efforts to promote the de-escalation of the situation in the region, firmly uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
Thank you, Madam President.