Chinese envoy urges solidarity, cooperation in fighting terrorism

China

Chinese envoy urges solidarity, cooperation in fighting terrorism

2024-08-09 12:20 Last Updated At：18:27

China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang on Thursday called on the international community to strengthen solidarity and intensify cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Geng made the statement at the UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

At the meeting, Geng underscored the importance of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, noting that counter-terrorism should not become a tool for major power rivalry, a bargaining chip in geopolitics, or a pretext for interfering in other countries' internal affairs.

All countries should uphold the concept of common security, abandon ideological bias, eradicate double standards or selectivity in counterterrorism efforts, and effectively respect and protect the security of each and every country, Geng said.

"It has been proved many times that terrorism cannot be completely eliminated purely through military means. Only by upholding a systematic concept, focusing on the long-term and on the root causes and taking a multifaceted approach in economic, political, social, cultural, and religious fields, can we eliminate the root causes, and ultimately achieve victory in the fight against terrorism," said Geng.

Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, said at the meeting that branches of Daesh, also known as ISIL, are constantly expanding in Africa's Sahel region, and speeding up actions in northern Mozambique and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, causing large numbers of civilian casualties.

Voronkov said the moves by Daesh and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan are also posing serious threats to regional security. He called for joint efforts from countries in the region to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a hotbed of terrorism.

Repairs on Hainan's infrastructure proceeding at pace after Typhoon Yagi

2024-09-10 04:01 Last Updated At：06:17

Emergency crews in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan has been making progress in recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi, with power restored to most major urban areas, essential utilities, and hospitals as of Monday, according to officials.

Speaking at a press conference in Hainan, the officials from the province's emergency command center for Typhoon Yagi said that in addition to the ongoing process of restoring power, crews were also working on restoring communication services and reopening provincial and national highways to two-way traffic.

Authorities said the provincial power grid operator had been maintaining a top-level emergency response to address ongoing challenges. Repair teams are working to restore extensive damage to over 10,000 utility poles and 2,500 kilometers of 10kV power lines. Despite the obstacles, the teams are dedicated to ensuring that educational institutions and businesses can quickly resume work.

The storm knocked out about 29,370 telecommunications base stations across Hainan, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology sending support teams from neighboring provinces to aid in repairs. Service from more than 10,000 damaged stations has resumed so far.

"We have adjusted the operational parameters of unaffected communication base stations to expand coverage and restore basic services in areas that previously had no signal," said Chen Xingwu, deputy director of Hainan's communication administration.

Two-way traffic had been restored on provincial and national highways by Monday afternoon, while county and township roads have been mostly cleared. Public transportation services across the province are gradually resuming operations.

Yagi, the 11th typhoon of the year, made landfall twice on Friday, first striking Hainan Province and later the neighboring Guangdong Province.