China urges protection of infrastructure along Belt and Road

UNITED NATIONS - China on Monday called for international cooperation to protect infrastructure in countries along the Belt and Road against terrorist attacks.

"China's Belt and Road Initiative takes infrastructure interconnection as cooperation priority to support the countries along the Road to improve their infrastructure development, achieve mutually beneficial win-win cooperation and synchronize development to benefit all," Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at an UN Security Council open debate on the protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks.

The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted Resolution 2341 (2017), calling upon member states to consider developing or further improving their strategies for reducing risks to critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks.

To date, more than 100 countries and international organizations have joined the Belt and Road Initiative, Liu said, noting that China hopes to strengthen cooperation in areas such as "intelligence sharing, risk assessment and joint law assessment through bilateral and multilateral channels" to effectively protect interconnection projects and trans-boundary infrastructure from terrorist attacks and to ensure the safety and security of the Belt and Road construction.

The 15-member council reiterated "the need to strengthen efforts to improve security and protection of particularly vulnerable targets, such as infrastructure and public places," according to a UN press release posted on its website.

"Recently, a series of terrorist attacks on infrastructure such as airports and mass transport stations have caused panics, and resulted in serious losses of lives and properties. The international community should pay attention to the above mentioned developments and work together to fight this phenomenon," Liu said.

"The United Nations and the Security Council should play a leading role in relevant international cooperation," said the ambassador, adding that "terrorism is the common enemy of mankind and whenever and wherever and in whatever forms it occurs, it must be countered resolutely."