All countries, big or small, strong or weak, are equal before the humanitarian law, said a Chinese official Thursday.

Speaking at the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, head of the Chinese delegation Ambassador Qiao Zonghuai said that it is not only the obligation of the weak and small countries, but also that of the strong and big, to enforce the Geneva Conventions and their protocols.

"Unfortunately, we cannot but point out that many problems still exist in the current international practices in this regard," said Qiao. "Assuming themselves the world gendarme, some countries and regional military organization resort to force against sovereign countries."

For example, he said, civilians, civilian installations or even diplomatic facilities were bombed and internationally forbidden weapons were used in some cases.

"These actions apparently run against not only humanitarian law, but also the civilization of mankind and should be abandoned totally," Qiao stressed.

The Chinese ambassador said that humanitarian operations should be guided by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the basic principles of international law.

"State sovereignty must be respected and internal affairs should not be interfered in," he said. "Deviation from or ignorance of these principles would leave room for wilful interventions under the pretext of humanitarianism."

He also underscored that humanitarian activities should be carried out in strict accordance with the principle of humanitarianism, neutrality and fairness, and should not be used to serve any political purpose.

"However, some recent abnormal international practices arouse our anxieties," he said. "Some countries and country group either adopt double-standard approach in dealing with humanitarian situations in different regions, or seek strategic, military or economic interests for themselves in the name of humanitarian assistance."

He urged the international community to attach sufficient importance to the relief of humanitarian disaster in the African continent, and to assist the relevant countries in stepping out of disturbance and poverty.