Chinese envoy urges international community to fully respect sovereignty, ownership of Ethiopia on Tigray issue

UNITED NATIONS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday called on the international community to fully respect the sovereignty and ownership of Ethiopia on the Tigray issue.

Addressing the Security Council meeting on peace and security in Africa, Dai said that the Tigray issue is the internal affairs of Ethiopia. "China believes that the Ethiopian people have the wisdom and capability to properly solve this issue. When offering help, the international community must fully respect the sovereignty and ownership of Ethiopia, and jointly help Ethiopia tide over the difficulty."

China has been closely following the situation in Tigray, said the envoy. "China welcomes the Ethiopian Government's recent announcement of unilateral ceasefire in Tigray to guarantee the normal agricultural and humanitarian activities. China hopes to see a complete ceasefire in Tigray, and supports relevant parties to solve their differences through political dialogue, so that all the Ethiopian people, including people in Tigray, can enjoy peace and stability and achieve development and prosperity. China supports the African Union in continuing its constructive role and welcomes the support expressed to Ethiopia by Chairperson Faki of the AU Commission."

Dai said that China has provided humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia to the best of its ability. The food assistance offered by the Chinese government will soon arrive in the country, and the COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to Ethiopia will also benefit people in Tigray.

The ambassador underscored that the Ethiopian government has actively responded to the humanitarian need in Tigray by providing aid to the people in need, restoring local production and normal life and fully opening humanitarian access, all of which have yielded sound outcomes.

"Humanitarian assistance for Tigray still faces severe shortage of resources. The international community should provide greater emergency humanitarian assistance and the UN guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance should be fully observed," he added.

"The Security Council should prudently handle the timing and method regarding the settlement of the Tigray issue to ensure that the Council will play a positive role in improving the Tigray situation, not the other way around," said the ambassador.

"Ethiopia is the anchor of stability for the Horn of Africa, exerting major influence over regional peace and stability," he said.

"To safeguard peace and stability in Ethiopia is the common aspiration of the Ethiopian people, and also the shared expectation of African countries and the wider international community. China will work with the international community to make efforts in this regard," the envoy noted.