New York, United States - February 12, 2025 China's United Nations (UN) permanent representative, Fu Cong, called on the international community to provide meaningful assistance to Syria and prevent the country from becoming a haven for terrorist groups, during a statement on Wednesday. Delivering a speech at the UN Security Council briefing on Syria, Fu said the Syrian people, who have long endured sufferings and hardships inflicted by war and chaos, are aspiring to restore peace and stability to their country and start a life of tranquility and dignity as soon as possible. Stressing the importance of international aid at this critical juncture, he reiterated China’s support for Syria in advancing its domestic political process under the "Syrian-led, Syrian-owned" principle and find a solution that meets people's aspirations through inclusive dialogue and consultations. Holding a national dialogue conference is a crucial step in Syria’s political transition, Fu said, urging for a clear timeline and steady implementation of this process. The Chinese envoy stressed that Syria must not serve as a safe haven for terrorists, which he described as a bottom line that must be adhered to. Citing the latest report of the Secretary-General which identities Syria as one of the centers for terrorist activities planning, he warned the international community to remain highly vigilant as terrorist organizations may exploit the latest upheaval in Syria to strengthen their position. Fu highlighted the extremely dire humanitarian situation in Syria, where millions of people face severe challenges to their survival and development. Despite numerous headwinds, UN agencies continue to expand humanitarian aid efforts in Syria, a move China commended. However, he pointed out that longstanding unilateral sanctions imposed by the relevant country have caused great harm to the Syrian people. "China's position on this has been consistent. Such measures should not have existed in the first place. In order to meet the needs of humanitarian assistance and development of Syria, it is necessary to take actions to eliminate the negative impact of these measures," Fu said. China emphasized that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity should be respected under all circumstances. It called for the full implementation of Security Council resolution on the Golan and the 1974 disengagement of forces agreement, urging Israel to withdraw from Syrian territory without delay. Shotlist: UN headquarters, New York City - Feb 12, 2025: FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - June 29, 2023 1. UN headquarters building; FILE: UN headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown 2. UN emblem; 3. UN flag; UN headquarters, New York City - Feb 12, 2025 4. UN Security Council meeting in progress, attendees; 5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations: "China's position on this has been consistent. Such measures should not have existed in the first place. In order to meet the needs of humanitarian assistance and development of Syria, it is necessary to take actions to eliminate the negative impact of these measures."; FILE: UN headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown 6. UN flag; FILE: Damascus, Syria - Date Unknown 7. Various of damaged buildings, traffic, pedestrians; FILE: Homs, Syria - 2024 8. Damaged buildings, traffic, pedestrians; FILE: Damascus, Syria - Dec 8, 2024 9. Traffic, pedestrians; FILE: Damascus, Syria - Dec 12, 2024 10. Traffic; FILE: Syria - Dec 2024 11. Various of crowded street, vendors, traffic, pedestrians. [Restriction - For news purpose only/No archive/Not for other production use, No Access Chinese Mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/ Al-Arabiya TV]