China 'disappointed' as US blocks UN's cease-fire vote

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday reiterated his disappointment with the United States for blocking for the fourth time the UN Security Council's call for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Since Monday, the UN General Assembly has debated the US veto on Feb 20 that blocked an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, calling instead for a conditional "temporary cease-fire" involving the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, told the assembly that China was "extremely disappointed" that the US had "forcibly blocked" the Security Council's call for a cease-fire nearly five months after the outbreak of the Gaza conflict.

Geng said the result of the vote clearly shows that on the issue of demanding a cease-fire in Gaza, the vast majority of council members are in agreement.

"However, the United States has been the only country to abuse its veto power to stifle the consensus of the council, causing widespread discontent in the international community," Geng added.

"An immediate cease-fire in Gaza is a prerequisite to save innocent civilians and provide humanitarian assistance and a key to avoiding further escalation and proliferation of the conflict," he said.

Geng stressed that as Ramadan is approaching, the international community must push for an immediate cease-fire and end to the conflict with the strongest sense of urgency and political determination, in order to preserve the hope of survival for the people of Gaza.

"We urge Israel to immediately change course, cancel its offensive plans against Rafah, cease military attacks on Gaza, and stop the forced transfer and collective punishment of the Palestinian population," he said.

"We call on the country concerned to put aside geostrategic considerations and domestic political calculations, be truly impartial and responsible in making the right choice, and play a constructive role in promoting a cease-fire in Gaza," he said.

Geng emphasized that the two-state solution is "the only viable way" to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

China calls for intensified international and regional diplomatic efforts to reshape a credible multilateral process, revitalize the political prospects for the two-state solution, and relaunch direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, Geng said.