A Chinese representative urged parties to abide by a ceasefire agreement, and de-escalate tensions in Syria as soon as possible at a United Nations Security Council meeting held in New York City on Thursday.
Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said over the recent period, the situation in Syria's Aleppo and the northeastern part of the country had changed significantly, drawing wide attention from the international community.
China noticed that a ceasefire agreement had been reached, and hoped that the agreement will be observed, tensions will be de-escalated as soon as possible, and peace and stability will be restored in Syria at an early date, said Sun.
China hopes that all parties in Syria will promote political reconciliation through dialogue and negotiation and find out a national reconstruction solution that is in the interests of the Syrian people, Sun said.
"China reiterates its support for Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, and opposes external interference. We are willing to work with the international community to play a constructive role in helping Syria achieve security, stability, and development," said Sun. Syria's defense authorities announced on Tuesday a four-day ceasefire across all operational sectors of the Syrian army, effective from 8:00 p.m. local time (1700 GMT), as part of efforts to support recently reached understandings with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The ceasefire was declared in commitment to the agreements reached with the SDF and in pursuit of national efforts aimed at preserving security and stability, said a statement carried by Syrian state media.
Syrian officials have described the pause in military operations as a confidence-building measure intended to facilitate dialogue and allow space for the implementation of agreed-upon mechanisms, while preventing further escalation on the ground.
One year into Syria's post-Assad transition, nearly 3 million refugees and internally displaced people have returned home, a sign of cautious progress, said UN News in an online post on Thursday.
UN officials warned that continued incursions by Israel in southern Syria undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and risk further destabilizing an already volatile environment.
Against this fragile backdrop, the situation in northern and northeastern Syria has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks.
China calls for abiding by ceasefire agreement, deescalating tensions in Syria
Li Li, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) from southwest China's Guizhou Province, has made it her mission to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Buyi people, particularly their traditional clothing.
Born and raised in a village of Qinglong County, Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Li began learning the intricate handicrafts of the Buyi people from her mother at a young age.
After spending over a decade working away from home, she felt a strong calling to return and safeguard her cultural roots. In 2015, she returned to her roots to start a business with the vision to revitalize Buyi clothing.
"Starting my own business was really tough in the beginning. If you want to make a Western-style suit, you could just buy some fabric and copy an existing design. But ethnic clothing is different. It requires constant innovation, and that takes a huge amount of time. Traditional fabrics tend to fade, and I spent months just trying to figure out how to fix the color. This problem had kept me up for a long time. But eventually, I tackled the challenges one by one," Li said.
Her persistence has paid off. This year, Li's team tapped into the cultural symbolism of the Year of the Horse, creating a range of horse-themed products that have quickly gained popularity.
"This year is the Year of the Horse, so we created a lot of horse-themed items. They are very popular and orders have been pouring in. Every year, we design our cultural products and clothing based on what the market wants. We started with a 300-square-meter workshop, and now we have our own intangible cultural heritage center. Over the years, we've trained more than a thousand embroiderers," she said.
As a grassroots NPC deputy, Li prioritizes listening to the voices of ordinary people. During work sessions with embroiderers, she takes time to listen to their concerns and offers flexible schedules for those with special needs.
The preservation of ethnic clothing and culture has always been at the heart of her work.
"During this year's 'two sessions', I will continue to focus on the preservation of ethnic clothing and culture. I want to encourage more young people to get involved in cultural inheritance. For example, I've been going to schools to teach students because I hope that intangible cultural heritage can take root in children's hearts from an early age. I want them to grow up knowing how remarkable our ethnic culture is and to develop a strong sense of cultural pride," Li said.
The "two sessions" refer to the annual meetings of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Conference, China's top political advisory body,which usually convene in early March.
NPC deputy from Guizhou revitalizes Buyi culture through inheritance and innovation
