UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the international community to strengthen solidarity and intensify cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

 

"At present, terrorism continues to pose a threat to international peace and security," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

 

Noting that the threat posed by Daesh, Al-Qaeda and its affiliated terrorist organizations continues unabated, Geng warned that as the new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues to escalate, its spillover effects are constantly emerging, leading to a surge in hate crimes and an increased risk of terrorist attacks in many countries.

 

"These developments are a source of deep concern and disturbance," he stressed.

 

While underscoring the importance of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, the envoy said 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," he said.

 

Geng called on the international community to adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold and practice true multilateralism, and effectively play the central coordinating role of the United Nations in international counter-terrorism efforts.

 

He also urged the full implementation of UN resolutions on counter-terrorism and the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy, and jointly combatting all terrorist organizations and individuals listed by the Security Council.

 

Geng stressed the importance of cooperation at the national, regional and global levels, the collective counter-terrorism mechanism, counter-terrorism cooperation efforts in areas like early warning, financing and border control, as well as in-depth research on the impact of emerging technologies on the international fight against terrorism.

 

Calling for prioritizing counter-terrorism efforts and optimizing the allocation of resources, he said the United Nations and the international community should, based on the counter-terrorism needs of the countries concerned, allocate more resources to help strengthen the legislative, judicial, and law enforcement capabilities of the countries concerned and enhance their comprehensive counter-terrorism and de-radicalization capabilities.

 

"It has been proved many times that terrorism cannot be completely eliminated purely through military means," the ambassador emphasized, adding that "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."

 

Geng noted that while countering terrorism, regional countries should focus on eradicating poverty, improving education, employment, and economy, and further explore a development path in line with their national conditions.

 

"The international community should increase development assistance, support and help the countries concerned to resolve their debt and financing problems and enhance their capabilities for sustainable social and economic development," he said.

 

He stated that it is essential to promote a political settlement of regional conflicts and hotspot issues, improve the humanitarian situation in conflict areas, and prevent terrorist forces from taking advantage of the chaos.

 

"In this connection, I would like to make a special appeal to the international community to make concerted efforts to promote a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, to ease tensions in the region as soon as possible, and to spare no effort in preventing further escalation of the conflict and confrontations, which could lead to even greater casualties and catastrophe," Geng noted.