China calls for cessation of hostilities in Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday stressed the need to push for the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and to contain the spillover effects of the crisis.

To achieve peace, the international community should encourage the parties to exercise calm and restraint, meet each other halfway, seek consensus, strengthen the voice of reason for peace and negotiation, and explore ways to implement various peace initiatives to create conditions conducive to peace talks, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"What should be avoided is to add fuel to fire, to continue supplying weapons to the battlefield, to escalate unilateral sanctions, or to take any action that could cause the conflict to spiral out of control," he told the Security Council.

The security of all states is indivisible. The Ukraine crisis has shown, once again, that pursuing Cold War mentality, provoking bloc confrontation, and seeking absolute security do not work, he said.

Every effort must be made to contain the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis, said Zhang.

Major developed countries should take responsible economic and trade measures to ensure the secure and smooth operation of the global supply and industrial chains, abandon unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and avoid the politicization and weaponization of the economy, he said.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative should not be easily abandoned. China expects all parties to strive for the early resumption of grain and fertilizer exports from Russia and Ukraine, he said.

Zhang called for efforts to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance that parties to the conflict must strictly abide by international humanitarian law, refrain from attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, and ensure the provision for people's basic needs as well as the safety and security of life and property, he said.

The irresponsible transfer and use of cluster munitions could easily give rise to humanitarian disasters and the relevant parties must be extremely cautious in this regard, he said.

On the nuclear issue, all parties need maximum restraint and reason, and abide by the Convention on Nuclear Safety and other international law, he said.