Zimpapers Logo

BEIJING. – China pledges to uphold multilateralism and push for enhanced cooperation in the United Nations Security Council in its capacity as rotating council president for May.

In a press briefing on Monday, Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the UN, said the Security Council bears the primary responsibility of maintaining peace and security.

In the face of various global challenges, the international community looks to the Security Council to strengthen unity and cooperation, play a greater role, and maintain a peaceful and stable international environment, he said.

“For China, we will adopt a responsible and constructive approach in presiding over the work of the council for the month of May. We will try our best to maintain the continuity, the openness, the inclusiveness, the transparency of the council,. 

Zhang said China will stay in close contact with all Security Council members and all member states of the General Assembly as well as other main bodies to make sure the council plays its part this month.

“For China, of course, this is not our first presidency, however, we do attach great importance to the work of the presidency, and we fully understand our responsibilities.” 

Zhang highlighted several priorities in the program of work for May, the first of which is “firmly upholding and practicing multilateralism to support the UN in playing a central role”, Zhang said.

“It is becoming more and more evident that in tackling the current global crisis, multilateralism represents the right way out,” the envoy said.

In that regard, China will convene a high-level meeting on May 7. 

Another issue that China intends to tackle is promoting solidarity and cooperation to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and restore development in conflict areas.

Conflicts in Africa account for more than half of the situations on the Security Council agenda, Zhang said. It’s the shared responsibility of the international community to help African countries in conflict to overcome the pandemic and promote post-conflict reconstruction, peace-building and pandemic recovery. – China Daily.