On February 9, local time, the UN Security Council held an open meeting on the threat of terrorist acts to international peace and security

[The Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Calls for Comprehensive Measures to Combat Terrorism, Not Relying Solely on Force]

On February 9, local time, the United Nations Security Council held an open meeting on the threat of terrorist acts to international peace and security. Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, called on all parties to act in unity and through comprehensive measures to combat terrorism, and not rely solely on military means.

At the meeting on the same day, UN Deputy Secretary-General Volenkov said that al-Qaida and the extremist group "Islamic State" are still a serious threat to the world, and terrorist attacks based on ugly psychology and racism are increasing. He reiterated that Afghanistan could not be allowed to become a safe haven for terrorism.

In his speech, Zhang Jun said: Terrorism is the common enemy of mankind. Our fight against terrorism is long-term and requires comprehensive measures, united action and four propositions:

First, we must make every effort to curb a new wave of terrorism. The extremist group Islamic State remains active in Iraq, Syria, Libya and other regions, and has accelerated its spread in many parts of Africa. In Afghanistan, the withdrawal of foreign forces has led to a vacuum in the security situation, providing an opportunity for terrorist forces to take advantage of the chaos. We look forward to the Afghan Taliban putting into practice the relevant counter-terrorism commitments and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a gathering place for terrorism again. It should be noted that the terrorist threat remains acute and that it is far from time to let our guard down. China supports the international community in continuing to coordinate its actions to combat terrorism in all its forms. Any passivity and slackness on the issue of counter-terrorism, any appeasement and indulgence of terrorism, and any act of instrumentalizing the politicization of counter-terrorism and using terrorist forces to pursue geopolitical interests are betrayals of the victims of terrorism, will have serious consequences, and will eventually be countered and will not be worth the loss.

Second, every effort should be made to prevent the extremist organization Islamic State from colluding with other terrorist organizations. The Secretary-General's report points out that the Islamic State continues to recruit from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement ,which China is deeply concerned about. ETIM is a terrorist organization designated by the 1267 Committee of the Security Council. In recent years, the organization has developed in Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and other regions. We call on the Council and the international community to pay close attention to the continuing active and evolving terrorist threat of THE East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and to eradicate its breeding space.

Thirdly, counter-terrorism operations must comply with international law and adhere to the bottom line of protecting civilians. The lesson of the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 is that we cannot rely solely on military means to fight terrorism, and the indiscriminate use of force will not only not help eradicate the terrorist threat, but may weaken the legitimacy and effectiveness of counter-terrorism operations, forming a dilemma of "the more anti-terrorist the more fearful". Military intervention in the name of counter-terrorism would flagrantly violate national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and would create enormous disasters and civilian casualties and provide a breeding ground for terrorist breeding and development. We call on the States concerned to use military means sparingly in their counter-terrorism operations and to give priority to the protection of civilians. Thirteen civilians, including 6 children, were killed in a military campaign against the leader of the extremist group Islamic State last week. The repeated occurrence of such civilian casualties is unacceptable and should be fully investigated.

Fourthly, we must vigorously help African countries to strengthen counter-terrorism capacity-building. Terrorism and violent extremism are expanding in Africa at multiple points, posing a serious challenge to regional national security. In the Sahel, terrorist activities have destabilized the situation on the ground, resulting in mass casualties and displacement. The efforts made by the five Sahel countries to establish joint forces to actively carry out counter-terrorism operations deserve recognition, and adequate and predictable financial guarantees should be provided for the counter-terrorism operations of the five countries. At the same time, the military operations of extraterritorial forces in the Sahel should strengthen coordination and form a joint force with the five countries. China has always been committed to providing support for capacity building in Africa's countries at the forefront of counter-terrorism, which is a key area of funding from the China-United Nations Peace and Development Fund. China has funded a number of projects implemented by the UNITED Nations Counter-Terrorism Office and the COUNTER-Terrorism Executive Directorate of the Security Council, conducted counter-terrorism training for relevant African countries, provided counter-terrorism teaching materials and special counter-terrorism equipment, and held cross-border counter-terrorism cooperation seminars. We are ready to continue to support African countries in their quest for peace and security through practical actions. (CCTV)