China urges intl support for Iraq's fight against terrorism

China called here Friday on the international community to provide support for Iraq in its efforts to combat terrorism.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the appeal at a meeting of the Security Council on Iraq.

"The current situation in Iraq is posing a serious threat to international peace and security," Liu told the meeting presided over by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council for September.

China, Liu said, has all along cared about the security and well-being of the Iraqi people. In particular, "we are deeply saddened at the great sufferings that terrorism has afflicted to the Iraqi people."

He stressed "there is no good or bad terrorism," adding that " all acts of terrorism must be firmly opposed no matter where, when and by whom they are carried out."

Therefore, "the international community should be untied in helping Iraq against terrorism," he said.

The Chinese envoy noted that in conducting counter-terrorism cooperation, the international community should carry out relevant actions on the basis of respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned and in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic norms governing international relations.

"It is important to give full play to the leading role of the United Nations and its Security Council," Liu said.

He also noted that double standards should not be applied to counter-terrorism, nor should terrorism be associated with a certain ethnic group or religion.

Meanwhile, the international community should follow closely the new features and changes of terrorist activities in the world, he said.

"The international community should come up with new ideas and measures to cut off the three channels used by terrorists to promote their activities, namely the online dissemination of terrorism, cross-border movement of terrorists and secret financing for terrorism," he said.

Liu said that China is glad to see the formation of a new government in Iraq not long ago, which marks a milestone in the country's political reconciliation process.

"China hopes that all factions in Iraq will continue to give top priority to the interests of the nation and people and the stability of the country, advance political dialogue and reconciliation, and strengthen military and security capacity building, so as to lay a solid domestic groundwork for the political process," Liu said.

The international community should shoulder its due responsibility, fulfill its commitment to increase humanitarian assistance to the new Iraqi government, and make greater efforts to help ease the suffering of the Iraqi people, he added.

"Meanwhile, we need to take a long-term perspective and work out practical plans to help Iraq launch its economic reconstruction process as soon as possible and break the vicious circle of poverty, radicalization and violence," the envoy said.