Humanitarian operation must respect Syria's sovereignty: Chinese envoy

UNITED NATIONS - China's Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun on Friday stressed that humanitarian operation must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as the recipient country.

Before Zhang spoke, the UN Security Council voted on two competing draft resolutions, one prepared by Belgium, Germany and Kuwait and the other by Russia, on the soon-to-expire UN's cross-border aid mechanism to Syria.

Both drafts failed to get adopted due to the council members' divide over the length of its new mandate and the number of operating crossings.

In his remarks explaining his vote against the first draft, Zhang said regarding the establishment of a Syrian cross-border humanitarian relief mechanism, China always has reservations.

He said the Syrian government has the primary responsibility for improving the humanitarian situation in Syria, and "we should prioritize providing humanitarian assistance from inside Syria."

He reminded the council that cross-border humanitarian relief is a special relief method adopted under specific circumstances and it should be evaluated in a timely manner in light of the developments on the ground. "This mechanism must ultimately be adjusted."

Meanwhile, the Chinese envoy noted that China always attaches great importance to the humanitarian situation in Syria, supports the international community in stepping up humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people.

China supports the active work of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other international humanitarian agencies, he said.

China has also provided Syria with food, medicine, education, training, public services and other assistance through multilateral and bilateral channels, and is committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Syria and alleviating the sufferings of the Syrian people, he said.

Since 2014, the UN and aid groups have crossed into Syria from Turkey, Iraq and Jordan at four crossing points authorized yearly by the Security Council.

The Belgium/Germany/Kuwait text called for a re-authorization of the two crossings with Turkey and the one with Iraq for another year, while the Russian draft would only re-authorize the use of the two on the Turkish border for six months.

Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said the troika draft fails to reflect the changes since the mechanism was established in 2014 under urgent circumstances when there were no other means for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to certain areas.

He noted that many of those areas can now get humanitarian assistance from within Syria.

Zhang voted against the troika draft and voted for Russia's alternative text.