China Wednesday voiced its full support for the efforts by the mediator of the Burundi peace process, former South African President Nelson Mandela, saying that the political solution is the only way to bring peace to the central African country.

The statement came as Shen Guofang, deputy Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, was speaking at an open Security Council debate on Burundi.

"China fully supports the facilitating efforts by Mandela," Shen said. "We believe that with his outstanding wisdom and experience, he will instill new vitality into the Arusha pace process."

"We believe that many views and proposals put forward by President Mandela merit serious attention and study by the Security Council," he said.

"We, at the same time, also believe that the realization of peace and national reconciliation in Burundi ultimately depends on the people of Burundi and leaders of various factions," he said. "Any other people cannot replace them in achieving peace."

"A political solution to be achieved through negotiations is the only way to put an end to the internal conflict and realize national reconciliation in Burundi," he said. "Any military means can only render futile any achievement made so far in the peace process and plunge the people of Burundi into war once again."

"Therefore, we call on the relevant parties of Burundi to proceed from the fundamental interest of the Burudian people, cease immediately hostilities, and fully take part in peace talks for an agreement at an early date," he said.

The severe economic situation is the main cause of the turbulence in Burundi, he said. "Without a fundamental and complete elimination of poverty, it is hard to achieve peace and stability in Burundi."

"Therefore, we appeal to the international community and donor countries to intensify their economic assistance to Burundi," he said.

The Chinese government will, as always, provide assistance to the peace process in various aspects, he said.

Mandela, the new mediator for Burundi, came to the UN Headquarters in New York, from the Tanzanian city of Arusha, where the Burundian peace process kicked off.

Mandela was appointed by African leaders in December last year to mediate Burundi's stalled peace talks to end the conflict in Burundi, which left more than 200,000 people dead and tens of thousands in a worsening humanitarian situation.