20 June 2025
President,
I thank you for convening this emergency meeting. I thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his statement, and support his call for an end to the fighting and the return to diplomatic negotiations. I thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Director General Rafael Grossi for their briefings.
As the Israeli-Iranian military conflict enters its eighth day, it is distressing to note that the conflict has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties and damage to facilities on both sides. If the conflict escalates further, not only will both sides suffer greater losses, but the regional countries will also be severely affected. Israel’s actions violate international law and the norms of international relations, jeopardize the sovereignty and security of Iran, and undermine regional peace and stability. China unequivocally condemns this.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward a four-point proposal regarding the current situation. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken separately with his counterparts of Iran, Israel, and the regional countries. At this critical juncture, the international community should further forge consensus and make every effort to promote talks to ease tensions. I will make four points.
First, there must be an immediate ceasefire and an end to the fighting. The use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes. It will only exacerbate hatred and conflict. The sooner a ceasefire is put in place, the less damage will be done. The situation in the region cannot be allowed to slide into an unknown abyss. The parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, should cease fire as soon as possible to prevent the situation from escalating and to avoid any spillover of the fighting.
Second, the safety of civilians must be ensured. The red line of protecting civilians in armed conflicts must not be crossed at any time, and the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable. The parties to the conflict must strictly abide by international law, resolutely avoid harming innocent civilians, refrain from attacking civilian facilities, and facilitate the evacuation of third-country nationals.
Third, we must stay committed to dialogue and negotiation. Communication and dialogue are the right path to lasting peace. The current conflict has interrupted the negotiation process on the Iranian nuclear issue. The attacks on multiple Iranian nuclear facilities set a dangerous precedent and could have catastrophic consequences. We must not waver in the general direction of a political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, and we must persist in returning the Iranian nuclear issue to the track of a political solution through dialogue and negotiation. China welcomes the talks in Geneva among the Foreign Ministers of the UK, France, Germany, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Foreign Minister of Iran.
Fourth, we must bring together the efforts of the international community to promote peace. Without stability in the Middle East, peace in the world would be elusive. The Israeli-Iranian conflict has led to a sudden escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and has had a serious impact on global security. Recently, 21 Arab and Islamic countries issued a joint statement of foreign ministers calling for a ceasefire, resuming talks on the Iranian nuclear issue, and maintaining lasting peace in the region, which China fully supports. The international community, especially major countries with special influence on the parties to the conflict, should make efforts to cool down the situation, rather than the opposite. The Security Council, as the primary body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, should play a greater role in this regard. We support the Council in taking necessary actions in a timely fashion.
China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination with all relevant parties, build synergies, uphold justice, and play a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East.
Thank you, President.