Chinese envoy warns of risks of diversion of Ukraine-destined weapons

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday warned of the risks of diversion of weapons destined for Ukraine.

UN Undersecretary-General for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu stated in a briefing to the Security Council in September that a large-scale influx of weapons to conflict-affected zones raises concerns about potential diversion. Nakamitsu re-emphasized this point in her briefing on Friday. In June this year, Interpol also indicated that weapons destined for Ukraine could end up on the black market and fall into the hands of criminals, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"These warnings have, unfortunately, materialized. There have been reports that some armed groups and terrorist organizations in the Middle East and Africa have obtained, through illegal channels, weapons and ammunition flowing from Ukraine," he told the Security Council.

The international community should pay attention to this issue and take preventive measures, he said.

The Ukraine crisis has been unfolding for almost 10 months, and a large amount of weapons and ammunition have poured into the country. Human lives appear so fragile in front of gun barrels. Both sides have suffered huge losses and immense trauma in the fighting, with ordinary people bearing the brunt, said Geng.

From a long-term perspective, the large stockpile of weapons, ammunition and explosives on Ukrainian territory may pose security risks to post-conflict reconstruction. Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia are among the countries that had a painful experience in this regard, he warned.

On the Ukraine issue, China has always advocated the cessation of hostilities as well as dialogue and peace talks. Since the onset of the crisis, China has always stressed that a political solution is the only way out. Flooding the battlefield with weapons and continuously expanding the categories and scope of deployed armaments will only aggravate existing strife, prolong and amplify the conflict and make ordinary people pay a higher price, he said.

Facts have shown that resolving the crisis through dialogue and negotiation is the only way to effectively minimize casualties and help restore peace in Ukraine and entire Europe. China, once again, calls on the international community to redouble its efforts to encourage peace talks, provide a favorable atmosphere for the parties to return to negotiations, and create conditions for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, said Geng.