China: Protecting Civilians in Armed Conflict Should be Handled on Case-by-Case Basis

The United Nations Security Council should review and handle the issue of protection of civilians in armed conflict on a case-by-case basis, treating each situation according to its own merits, China stressed on Wednesday.

Addressing the Security Council's open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Wang Yingfan, said it is necessary for the Security Council to take timely measures in response to cases like the Rwanda genocide.

"However, it is the sovereign states that should bear the main responsibility for protecting civilians in armed conflict. The Security Council stands no chance in successful reviewing and handling this issue without the close cooperation of the part of countries involved," Wang noted.

"It should give full respect to the opinions of countries or parties concerned, provide them with various kinds of assistance according to their specific needs and take actions, when necessary, to support their efforts for the protection of civilians," Wang said.

"In our view, in the country where there exists an armed conflict, the government is supposed to make decisions on what measures to be necessary for protecting civilians, in accordance with the nature and characteristics of the conflict and the actual situation of civilians in the area of conflict," the Ambassador said.

"In this regard, positions of the sovereign states should be respected by the Security Council. To take action in the absence of the understanding and cooperation on the part of the countries involved will possibly lead to resistance and opposition by the latter," he said.

Should this be the case, not only will relevant measures for protecting civilians fail to be truly implemented, but also more civilians will be dragged into miserable situations, Wang said. "It must also be pointed out that it runs counter to the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and is doomed to have severe consequences to wantonly interfere in other countries' internal affairs or even attempt to overturn a legal government under the pretext of protection of civilians and by politicizing humanitarian concerns, he added.



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