China abstains on UN move against Tehran

China abstained on a United Nations Security Council draft resolution on the Iran-related situation on Wednesday, saying the text failed to reflect in a balanced way the root cause and overall picture of the conflict and did not adequately incorporate Beijing's proposed revisions.

The resolution, adopted with 13 votes in favor, no votes against and China and Russia abstaining, condemned Iran's "egregious attacks" against neighbors as the Middle East violence rapidly spirals, the UN said in a press release.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said China attached great importance to the draft resolution presented by Bahrain on behalf of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan.

China "fully" understands the Gulf Arab states' serious security concerns, Fu said, urging all sides to respect the sovereignty and safety of countries not involved in the fighting. Beijing had engaged in consultations in a constructive manner, he said.

While the resolution demands an "immediate" halt to Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and "condemns any actions or threats" by Iran to international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, it does not mention the United States-Israeli strikes on Iran.

"Regretfully, however, the draft resolution does not fully reflect the root cause and the overall picture of the conflict in a balanced manner," Fu said.

"The reasonable suggestions by China were not adequately taken into account. Therefore, China had no choice but to abstain from the vote."

US and Israeli forces continued their attacks on Iran, and Iran responded with strikes across the Middle East and shut down the Strait of Hormuz.

Fu said China is deeply concerned about the rapidly escalating situation in the Gulf region, which risks pushing the entire Middle East into a dangerous abyss.

"The outbreak of this war lacks justification and legitimacy. Its continuation would bring harm without any benefit," he said. "The fundamental way to prevent further deterioration of the situation is for the US and Israel to cease their military operations."

Respect for sovereignty

Meanwhile, the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the Gulf Arab states must also be fully respected, Fu said.

China does not go along with Iran's attacks and condemns all indiscriminate attacks against civilians and nonmilitary targets, he said.

China supports the legitimate demands of the Gulf Arab states to uphold their national security, appreciates and supports their restraint, and supports the continued efforts of regional countries to resolve disputes through diplomatic means, he added.

"The continuation and escalation of conflict serve the interests of no party. The only victims are the people of the region," he said.

Fu mentioned that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held phone calls with his counterparts in multiple countries in the region and beyond. In addition, the special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue is conducting shuttle diplomacy in the region to promote peace and a cessation of hostilities.

Voting a second time, the Security Council rejected Russia's draft resolution calling for an end to the war by a vote of four in favor (China, Pakistan, Russia and Somalia) to two against (Latvia and the US), with nine abstentions.

"We are disappointed and regret that the draft was not adopted," Fu said. "This is a war that should not have happened — it is a war that does no one any good."

Russia's UN representative, Vasily Nebenzya, said, "We're deeply disappointed."

Many Security Council members' positions are dictated purely by short-term political interests, bloc solidarity and "the fear that they might fall out of favor with their elder friends", he said.

mingmeili@chinadailyusa.com