Chinese envoy calls for removal of coercive measures against Syria

China's ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday urged the immediate lifting of coercive measures imposed by some countries on Syria.

"As long as the unilateral coercive measures are not lifted, there will be no fundamental improvement in the humanitarian situation in Syria," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said in his remarks in explanation of China's vote against the Security Council draft resolution on the mandate renewal of a cross-border mechanism in Syria.

"Some country, while claiming to be concerned about the suffering of Syrian civilians, has imposed additional unilateral coercive measures on Syria, ruthlessly stifling the livelihoods of the Syrian people.

"China once again calls on the council to address this critical issue, and urge the relevant countries to immediately lift the unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria.

"We also request a comprehensive assessment by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the overall humanitarian situation in Syria to be presented by the secretary-general in a focused report to the Security Council."

Members of the Security Council on Tuesday voted via video link on the draft resolution submitted by Germany and Belgium on the mandate renewal of the cross-border mechanism in Syria. With China and Russia voting against it, the draft resolution was not adopted.

On the effects of the unilateral coercive measures, Zhang said they "have further aggravated the economic and humanitarian crisis in Syria".

"Years of illegal sanctions have had immeasurable impact on the economic and social development of Syria, devastated livelihoods, and brought untold suffering to innocent civilians," he said. "The unilateral coercive measures have also severely undermined Syria's capacity to respond to COVID-19."

The ambassador noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Special Envoy Geir Pedersen have repeatedly called on the relevant countries to lift unilateral coercive measures.

"To this end, China proposed amendments to the draft resolution," Zhang said. "It is disappointing that the draft resolution completely ignores China's amendments and does not contain a single word about unilateral coercive measures. China is compelled to vote against such an unobjective and unbalanced draft resolution."

As to the cross-border mechanism, Zhang said it was "merely an urgent and temporary arrangement". "It is the primary responsibility of the Syrian government to improve the humanitarian situation in the country. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria must be respected," he said.

Fundamental differences

The ambassador said China notes that there are still fundamental differences among Security Council members on the number of crossing points and the duration of an extension. China hopes that members will reach a consensus through consultations, he said.

After the vote, Russia proposed its own draft resolution.

Zhang stressed that China has consistently advocated a holistic and comprehensive approach to the Syrian issue.

Commenting about China's assistance to the war-scarred country, the envoy said that China attaches great importance to the humanitarian situation in Syria and supports the international community and UN agencies in stepping up humanitarian relief for the Syrian people.

"China has been providing a wide range of assistance to Syria through bilateral and multilateral channels, including in the areas of food, medicine, education and public services, and played a positive role in improving the humanitarian situation on the ground," Zhang said.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.