A man walks near a residential building damaged in Mariupol, Ukraine on April 17, 2022. The UN permanent representative for China said on Tuesday that the UN's representative to the UNZENHUA UNITED NATIONS said that the fundamental way to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is to put an early end to the conflict.
At the Security Council meeting on the humanitarian issue of Ukraine, we call on Russia and Ukraine to adhere to the general direction of dialogue and negotiation, continuously narrow differences and accumulate conditions for a ceasefire.
On the protection of civilians, Zhang stated that every effort must be made to reduce the harm to civilians caused by conflict.
China calls for all parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint, strictly abide by international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian facilities, and facilitate evacuation and humanitarian assistance operations, said the envoy.
He said that the parties concerned should strengthen communication on humanitarian issues, coordinate and cooperate on issues such as opening humanitarian corridors and organizing the safe evacuation of personnel.
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He said that China appreciates the fact that the neighboring countries of Ukraine have provided safe havens and humanitarian assistance.
The envoy said that we must pay attention to and eliminate the negative effects of sanctions. The large number of developing countries that are not parties to the conflict have paid a heavy price for it. This is neither fair nor reasonable. The international community should strengthen coordination to keep food and energy supplies and prices stable, and avoid unnecessary export restrictions, he said.
He pointed out that a freeze of foreign exchange reserves of other countries is a violation of sovereignty, and is equivalent to weaponizing economic interdependence. He called for an early end to such practices, as they undermine the foundation of world economic stability and bring new uncertainties and risks to international relations.