UN chief remains concerned over US-Iran hostilities: spokesman

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UN chief remains concerned over US-Iran hostilities: spokesman

2026-07-22 16:50 Last Updated At：21:27

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remains deeply concerned over the continuing and expanding military escalation between the United States and Iran, his spokesman said at a press conference at the UN headquarters on Tuesday.

Guterres is particularly concerned about attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including a nuclear power plant under construction and a desalination plant, and also across the region, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman.

The crisis has already affected Iran, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, placing pressure on trade systems, humanitarian access, transport costs, and the prices of fuel and basic commodities in those countries and beyond, he noted.

Vital infrastructure on which civilians rely for survival, including hospitals and water supplies, must be spared. All parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, said the spokesman.

"The Secretary-General reiterates once again that there is no military solution to this conflict and he calls for intensifying diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful and durable settlement," said Dujarric.

China's high-tech product export up 39 pct in H1

China's export of high-tech products went up 39 percent in the first half of this year, said Sun Meijun, head of General Administration of Customs, at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

Sun said that China's total goods trade and the import and export of goods all registered double-digit growth in the first half of this year, with the export products precisely meeting the demand of international markets.

Boosted by expanded domestic demand, China's import posted faster growth in the first half of this year, with a growth rate 8.7 percentage points higher than that of export.

"The export of high-tech products increased by 39 percent. The export of electric vehicles climbed 68.7 percent and the export of integrated circuit jumped 88.7 percent. Cutting-edge technologies, including high-end intelligent products and green and low-carbon products, have become new hallmarks and valuable name cards for 'Made-in-China' exports," said Sun.

In the first six months, China also saw an increase of 115,000 enterprises that had records of importing and exporting goods, said Sun.

The country witnessed thriving growth of new business forms and models in the foreign trade sector, Sun said.

The overseas warehouse for export goods of China's cross-border e-commerce sector surged 3.3 times, and 140 million consumers shopped via cross-border e-commerce, said Sun.