By Wang Jiangang
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 10 -- Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, stated on January 9 that China called on the international community to make every effort to promote an immediate ceasefire and end to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Geng Shuang expressed at the UN General Assembly meeting on the use of the veto that the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been ongoing for more than three months. The Gaza Strip is facing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, with innocent civilians losing their lives every day, and the situation continues to deteriorate. The immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is a universal call from the international community and an essential requirement for restoring peace. However, the Security Council has failed to reach a consensus on the call for a ceasefire. China expresses disappointment and regret over the United States exercising its veto again in the Security Council on December 22 last year.
Geng said saving civilian lives requires an immediate ceasefire. The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict has resulted in over 23,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip and the displacement of nearly 90% of its population. Allowing the conflict to continue only leads to more casualties and does no good to the detainees. China urges Israel to halt indiscriminate military attacks, end the collective punishment of people in the Gaza Strip, and create necessary conditions for humanitarian agencies to carry out aid in the Gaza Strip.
Geng stated that an immediate ceasefire is necessary to prevent regional unrest. As conflicts persist in the Gaza Strip and tensions escalate in the West Bank of the Jordan River, between Lebanon and Israel, between Syria and Israel, and in the Red Sea and other areas, the Middle East region is facing turmoil, posing a threat to world peace and security. Only by achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip can the spillover effects of the conflict be fundamentally eliminated and the wider Middle East region be prevented from being dragged into war and conflict.
Geng stated that upholding the two-state solution requires an immediate ceasefire. China opposes the forced displacement and relocation of the Palestinian people and the occupation of Palestinian land. China is deeply concerned about the public rejection of the two-state solution by certain Israeli politicians. China calls for increased international and regional diplomatic efforts to promote an immediate ceasefire, help the people in the Gaza Strip end their displacement and return home as soon as possible, and prevent a complete collapse of the foundation of the two-state solution. China will continue to work with the international community to urge the Security Council to take timely, responsible and meaningful actions and make unremitting efforts to bring an early end to the war in the Gaza Strip, effectively implement the two-state solution, and achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.
According to the Charter of the United Nations, the five permanent members of the Security Council have the right to veto when voting on non-procedural matters. Resolutions on non-procedural matters must not be vetoed by any of the five permanent members before they can be adopted. On April 26, 2022, the General Assembly passed a resolution stating that a veto by a permanent member of the Security Council would automatically trigger a formal meeting to debate the issue related to the veto. Last month, the Security Council successfully adopted a resolution on humanitarian issues in Gaza after the United States vetoed a Russian amendment.
