China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, speaks at a Security Council debate at the UN headquarters in New York on September 23, 2021. The Security Council of the United Nations did not vote on a resolution aimed at imposing new sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK The draft, which won the approval of 13 members of the Security Council, was vetoed by China and Russia.
The Security Council resolutions on the DPRK are an integral whole and should be implemented in a comprehensive, complete, and accurate manner, as China's permanent representative to the UN said.
The countries concerned should not place a one-sided emphasis on the implementation of sanctions alone, but should also work to promote a political solution and ease sanctions where appropriate. According to Zhang, additional sanctions against the DPRK will not help resolve the problem, but will only lead to more negative effects and escalation of confrontation.
He said that additional sanctions will have a greater humanitarian impact, especially against the backdrop of emerging COVID 19 in the country.
China attaches great importance to the unity and cooperation of the Council. Under the current circumstances, the Council should consider what is really impinging on peace and stability on the peninsula, and should be concerned about the real livelihood difficulties facing the DPRK people, so as to inject impetus to resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, he said.
He said the Security Council should play an active role in providing humanitarian and anti-epidemic assistance to the DPRK rather than creating obstacles.
China's reasonable proposal was rejected. Under these circumstances, he noted, we had no choice but to vote against the draft resolution.
Zhang said that China calls for all parties to exercise calm and restraint, as well as to adhere to the general direction of political settlement, to respond to the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the DPRK, and to create conditions for the de-escalation of the situation and to the resumption of dialogue and negotiations.
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He said that China will continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and realizing its denuclearization.
A UN draft resolution needs at least nine votes in favor, and there is no opposition from Russia, China, France, Britain or the US.