Chinese Representative: China will not “take the blame” for the situation in Gaza
On October 30th, Zhang Jun, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, refuted unreasonable accusations made by the U.S. representative during an emergency open meeting of the Security Council on the Palestinian-Israeli situation, emphasizing that China would not “take the blame” for the current situation in Gaza.
Following comments from representatives of other nations, Zhang Jun spoke out again, remarking that the accusations by the U.S. representative – who blamed China for vetoing a U.S.-proposed resolution – were the most unreasonable statements he had heard that day. The U.S. seemed to want China to take responsibility for the current circumstances in the Gaza Strip, a blame Zhang stressed that China “cannot shoulder.”
Zhang Jun highlighted that the U.S. representative should be well aware of how the situation in the Middle East evolved to its current state and what roles the U.S. played in this process. It was the U.S. that repeatedly vetoed dozens of Security Council draft resolutions concerning the Middle East and the Palestinian-Israeli issue, hindering the Security Council from playing a responsible and constructive role in these matters, and from effectively promoting the “two-state solution.”
Zhang pointed out that the U.S. representative should also understand why China and some other countries voted against the U.S. resolution proposed last week. After vetoing a draft resolution put forth by Brazil, the U.S. hastily proposed its own. However, this draft ignored the strong calls for a ceasefire and peace, especially from Arab nations. It attempted to skew the narrative around the Palestinian-Israeli issue. What’s more concerning, Zhang noted, is that such actions might give a “green light” to further escalation of the situation.
Regarding this draft, Zhang stated that China had every reason to vote against it. China’s voting position was based on facts, law, conscience, justice, and, importantly, the strong calls from the international community, especially the vast majority of Arab countries. The subsequent resolution passed by the General Assembly clearly signaled calls for a ceasefire, protection of civilians, and the prevention of a humanitarian crisis. This resolution, supported firmly by the majority of UN member states, further proved that China’s voting stance was entirely justified.
Zhang Jun urged the U.S. to adopt a genuinely responsible attitude and work with other Security Council members. The focus should be on the most pressing issues currently faced by Gaza: achieving a ceasefire, protecting civilians, providing humanitarian access, and preventing an even greater humanitarian disaster. He called for consensus and urged the Security Council to take meaningful and responsible actions promptly.