Sun Lei, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addressed the open meeting of the UN Security Council on Yemen on the 16th, urging the conflicting parties to restart the peace process.
Sun Lei stated that China welcomes the large-scale prisoner exchange agreement recently reached between the Yemeni government and the Houthi armed forces. The deal sends a positive signal that the prospect of peace in Yemen remains within reach. China supports Yemen in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and expects and supports the conflicting parties to gradually build mutual trust and advance the resumption of Yemen's peace process. China backs regional countries in their efforts to help Yemen arrive at a comprehensive settlement and restore peace and stability at an early date.
Sun Lei stressed that safeguarding the safety of shipping lanes in the Red Sea is a shared responsibility of all parties, and the navigational rights of merchant ships of all countries in these waters under international law should be fully respected. No party should hype up tensions or take provocative actions over the Red Sea issue.
Sun Lei noted that the situation in Yemen is closely intertwined with developments across the Middle East. China welcomes the consensus reached by the United States and Iran on the text of the first-phase memorandum of understanding, and commends Pakistan for its mediation efforts. China hopes the United States and Iran will sign the first-phase memorandum of understanding as scheduled, and calls on all relevant parties to uphold the choice of peace and resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation.
Sun Lei said China has always strictly abided by and implemented Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on Yemen. It has adopted a prudent and responsible approach to exports of military goods and dual-use items, enforcing rigorous controls in accordance with its domestic export control laws and regulations as well as its international obligations. The accusations leveled by the United States against China are completely groundless, and China firmly rejects them. China will work tirelessly together with the international community to achieve an early political settlement of the Yemen issue and restore peace and stability to the Middle East.
