The representative of China elaborated on four points on the issue of counter-terrorism

Source: China News Network

United Nations, 9 Feb (China News Service) -- Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, spoke at an open meeting of the Security Council on the issue of terrorist acts threatening international peace and security on 9 February, expounding China's views.

Zhang Jun said: Terrorism is the common enemy of mankind. Our fight against terrorism is long-term and requires integrated measures and united action. He made four points:

First, we must make every effort to curb a new wave of terrorism. The Islamic State is still 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 expect the Taliban to implement the relevant counter-terrorism commitments and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a gathering place for terrorism again. China supports the international community in continuing to coordinate its actions to combat terrorism in all its forms. Any passivity on the issue of counter-terrorism, any appeasement and indulgence in terrorism, and any instrumentalization of the politicization of counter-terrorism and the use of terrorist forces for geopolitical interests are betrayals of the victims of terrorism and will have serious consequences.

Second, every effort should be made to prevent the Islamic State from colluding with other terrorist organizations. The Secretary-General's report notes that the Islamic State continues to recruit from the East Turkestan Islamic Party (ETIM/Turkestan Islamic Party), which China is deeply concerned about. The Etim is a terrorist organization designated by the 1267 Committee of the Security Council and has carried out a number of terrorist attacks in China's Xinjiang region, causing a large number of innocent casualties. In recent years, the organization has developed in Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and other regions. A report released earlier this month by the Monitoring Group of the Security Council's 1267 Committee noted that there are between 1,000 and 3,000 ETIM/TURKEA fighters in Syria who not only launch attacks on the ground, but also recruit, train and send terrorists to Central Asian countries and China to carry out terrorist attacks. EtHN ISIS fighters in Afghanistan even clamored to "return to Xinjiang to conduct jihad." We call on the Council and the international community to pay close attention to the ever-active and evolving terrorist threat of the East Turkestan Islamic Party, to sever its links with the Islamic State 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 20th 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 and form a dilemma of "the more anti-terrorist the more fearful". Military intervention in the name of counter-terrorism, in the name of counter-terrorism, flagrantly violates national sovereignty and territorial integrity, will 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.

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. 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. (End)