‘Our vote will stand the test of history’: Chinese envoy after vetoing UN Security Council draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz
China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong
The UN Security Council on Tuesday local time failed to adopt a draft resolution that "strongly encourages" states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts of a defensive nature to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Eleven members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution, China and Russia voted against it, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained. The draft resolution was proposed by Bahrain in coordination with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Jordan, Xinhua reported.
In his explanation of the vote, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Fu Cong said that the draft resolution failed to capture the root causes and the full picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner.
“China attaches great importance to the draft resolution submitted by Bahrain on behalf of Gulf States. We fully understand their serious concerns. We are committed to solving the issue properly, and we have participated constructively in the consultations,” Fu said.
Under the current circumstances, this draft resolution should clearly identify the root causes of this conflict, seek appropriate solutions to address the root causes and ensure the safety and security of shipping lanes, and strive to promote dialogue and achieve peace, the Chinese envoy noted.
“It is regrettable, however, that the draft resolution fails to capture the root causes and full picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner. It contains one-sided condemnation and pressure, the characterization of the situation as threat to international peace and security, as well as the use of armed escorts. Such language is highly susceptible to misinterpretation or even abuse,” Fu stated.
In responding to claims made by the US representative, Fu said that “we are much more convinced now that China’s position is objective and impartial, reflecting the image of a responsible major country that upholds international fairness and justice. Our vote will stand the test of history.”
The merits of this conflict are crystal clear, Fu said, adding that the US and Israel, without authorization from the Security Council and while negotiations between Iran and the US were underway, launched military strikes against Iran. This is in clear violation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations, he added.
“China does not go along with Iran’s attacks on Gulf States and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Like all parties, China hopes that peace and stability will be restored to the Strait as soon as possible and navigation will resume,” Fu said.
The Chinese envoy also noted that China has made tremendous efforts to restore peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East. China has engaged in intensive consultations and mediation with relevant parties. China and Pakistan have issued a Five-Point Initiative for Restoring Peace and Stability in the Gulf and Middle East Region, calling for immediate cessation of hostilities, start of peace talks as soon as possible, security of non-military targets, security of shipping lanes, and primacy of the UN Charter.
“This is an open initiative and welcomes the response and participation by countries and international organizations,” Fu said.
In a statement posted on its X account on Wednesday, the Permanent Mission of Iran to the UN said that Iran expresses its appreciation to China and Russia for their responsible conduct and today’s principled use of the veto in the UN Security Council.
“By blocking a flawed draft, they upheld the UN Charter and prevented the Security Council from being misused to legitimise U.S. aggression under the pretext of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf,” the X post said.
“They stood firmly on the right side of history.”
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