Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday reiterated China's firm opposition to the use of military force in international affairs and called for respecting the sovereignty and independent choice of development paths of all countries.
Mao made the remarks at a press briefing when asked about the United Nations Security Council's emergency open meeting held on Monday concerning U.S. military strikes against Venezuela.
"Yesterday (Jan 5), the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the U.S. military strikes against Venezuela. The Chinese representative stressed that military means are not the solution to problems, and the indiscriminate use of force will only lead to greater crises. China firmly supports the government and people of Venezuela in safeguarding their sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests. China firmly supports regional countries in upholding the status of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace. China stands ready to work with countries in the region and the international community to jointly safeguard peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean," Mao said.
"China has always maintained that all countries should respect the development paths independently chosen by the people of other nations, abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Major powers, in particular, should lead by example. No country should act as the international police, nor should any country presume to be the international judge," Mao said.
"China advocates a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security outlook. We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, attach importance to their legitimate security concerns, and insist on resolving differences and disputes between states through dialogue and consultation in a peaceful manner. This is the Chinese approach to addressing global security challenges and achieving universal and common security. We are ready to work with all countries to uphold the authority of international law, oppose the law of the jungle and interference in internal affairs of other countries, and jointly safeguard world peace and stability," Mao said.
China urges peaceful resolution, respect for sovereignty on Venezuela issue
