China Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza at UN Security Council Meeting
China Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza at UN Security Council Meeting
China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, emphasized in his speech at the Security Council’s public meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli issue on the 22nd that an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is the universal call of the international community and the overwhelming consensus among Security Council members.
Zhang Jun stated that two days ago, the Security Council missed another opportunity to promote a ceasefire in Gaza due to the United States exercising its veto power. Achieving an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is an urgent requirement to save innocent lives and to prevent a wider scale of war. China has noted that the United States has put forward a new draft resolution, and we hope that the US will adopt a responsible attitude, respond to the call of the international community, and respect the existing consensus of the Security Council members.
China urges Israel to immediately cease undermining the foundations of the “two-state solution,” to stop the forcible transfer of Palestinian people, and to cease searches, arrests, and attacks in the West Bank. The historical injustices suffered by Palestine must be corrected, and the long-standing aspiration of the Palestinian people to establish their own state must be realized.
UK Sanctions Chinese Firms Over Ukraine, China Warns of Countermeasures
On February 22, the UK government announced sanctions against multiple entities and individuals from various countries, including three Chinese companies, for ‘supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine’. The Chinese Embassy in the UK stated that China has always maintained an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, actively advocating for peace talks and pushing for a political solution. The UK’s sanctions against the relevant companies are unilateral actions without any basis in international law, and we firmly oppose them. China will take necessary measures to resolutely protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. We warn the UK that any actions that harm China’s interests will be met with a firm response from China.
According to Deutsche Welle, the new sanctions list nearly 200 entities and individuals, barring them from entering the EU or doing business there, with their assets within the EU to be frozen. These individuals and entities are accused of helping Russia acquire weapons or being involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children. Liu Zuokui, deputy director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that previously, although there were doubts within the EU about China supplying sensitive weapons to Russia, the EU had been cautious about sanctioning Chinese companies over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. China also does not wish the conflict to significantly affect China-EU relations. However, this inclusion of Chinese enterprises in the EU’s sanctions against Russia for the first time is tantamount to ‘supporting’ its suspicions with actual actions, which undoubtedly undermines mutual trust between China and the EU and may cause the recently stabilized China-EU relations to face new risks and complications.
“Envoys of friendship”: China may send giant pandas to the U.S
The China Wildlife Conservation Association (WCS) announced on the 22nd that, they have reached signed agreements with Madrid Zoo in Spain and San Diego Zoo in the United States for a new round of international cooperation on giant panda protection. They are also currently in discussions with Washington National Zoo in the United States and Schönbrunn Zoo in Austria for another round of cooperation.
According to WCS, the United States, Austria, Spain, and other countries were among the earliest to engage in international cooperation on giant panda conservation with China, establishing good collaborative relationships. Through the joint efforts of researchers, China, Spain, the United States, and Austria have successfully bred and raised 28 surviving cubs, making positive contributions to giant panda conservation. Giant pandas are loved by people around the world. The joint conservation for giant pandas catalyzes new collaborations between nations and strengthens the relationships between China and the United States, as well as China and Europe.