A contingent of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti attended a military parade marking the 64th anniversary of Cote d'Ivoire's independence on Wednesday in Abidjan, the country's economic capital.
President of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara arrived at the parade site at 9:30, and the parade commenced after the salute was fired. The parade featured contingents from the army, navy, air force, gendarmerie and police, comprising both marching columns and equipment columns. The parade involved more than 5,000 personnel in total.
At the invitation of the Ministry of Defense of Cote d'Ivoire, 53 officers and soldiers from the PLA Support Base in the country attended the military parade.
"It is a happy and exciting day for me to witness the performance of the PLA Navy Guard of Honor at the National Day Parade in Cote d'Ivoire. We're very proud," said a local Chinese.
"Participating in the military parade to celebrate the 64th anniversary of Cote d'Ivoire's independence allowed the Chinese military to showcase its image as a peaceful, powerful and civilized force to the people of Cote d'Ivoire and representatives from other countries in attendance. It also reflects China's emphasis on developing bilateral relations, consolidating and deepening the traditional friendship between the two countries and the two militaries," said Tan Jia, China's PLA task force commander.
"PLA's participation in the military parade demonstrates the outstanding relationship between Cote d'Ivoire and China, and we have a responsibility to keep the long-standing friendship between our two countries going strong," said Tene Birahima Ouattara, Ivorian Minister of Defense.
The diplomatic ties between Cote d'Ivoire and China were established in 1983, and bilateral cooperation between the two countries various fields has been continually strengthened since then.
PLA contingent attends Cote d'Ivoire's independence military parade
PLA contingent attends Cote d'Ivoire's independence military parade
A Chinese UN representative said the tension in the Red Sea is a prominent manifestation of the spillover of the Gaza conflict at a Security Council briefing on Yemen on Thursday.
Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks while also calling on the Houthis to respect the right of commercial vessels of all countries to navigate in the waters of the Red Sea in accordance with international law.
"he tension in the Red Sea is a prominent manifestation of the spillover of the Gaza conflict. It has been 11 months since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict and there is still no peace in sight. The negative effects of the conflict are increasing instability in the region. China once again urges the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza," said Geng.
The representative said China has always maintained that resolving the Yemen issue must rely on political and diplomatic means. He added that relevant parties should jointly advance a comprehensive political process that is "led by and owned by the people" and resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation.
China looks forward to countries with influence on Yemen playing a constructive role and calls on the Yemeni government and the Houthis to work together to implement the agreements reached between the two sides on financial and aviation issues, Geng said.
A Greek-flagged oil tanker named "MV Sounion", carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil, was attacked by Houthi forces on Aug. 21 with small arms, projectiles, and a drone boat. The situation escalated when Houthi forces released footage on Aug. 29 showing them boarding and placing explosives on the oil tanker, setting off blasts that put the Red Sea at risk of a major oil spill.
Geng expressed concern over the attack on the oil tanker, the possible oil spill, and the potential ecological and environmental impact.
He also pointed out that many provinces in Yemen are suffering from severe floods and the humanitarian situation has worsened. The international community should step up humanitarian assistance to Yemen, he said.
The deputy permanent representative also expressed grave concern over the detention of UN personnel in Yemen and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel.
Red Sea tension arises as manifestation of Gaza conflict spillover: Chinese UN representative
