UNITED NATIONS - A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on the international community to ditch ideology and geopolitical calculations in the fight against terrorism.
"Terrorism is a common enemy of humanity. The international community needs to strengthen unity and cooperation and steer clear of ideological biases and geopolitical calculations to build a strong united front against terrorism and jointly counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.
Speaking at a Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorism, Geng said the international community must urge Syria's interim authorities to fulfill their obligations and counter all groups designated as terrorist organizations by the Security Council, including the Islamic State and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
Given the lingering complexities and challenges regarding Syria's efforts to combat terrorism, the Security Council must be prudent when weighing decisions on adjusting the sanctions regime against the country, he said.
As detailed in a UN secretary general's report, terrorist groups such as the Islamic State-Khorasan Province, al-Qaida, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, the Pakistani Taliban, and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade are collaborating and remain active in Afghanistan and South Asia, orchestrating a series of heinous terrorist attacks, said Geng.
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China has called on the Afghan authorities to step up counter-terrorism efforts, root out all terrorist forces within its borders and use various bodies, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, he said.
China has noted that the US government has recently designated the BLA and its Majeed Brigade as terrorist organizations. It hopes the Security Council can follow suit and include this organization in its sanctions list as soon as possible, said Geng.
The secretary-general's report indicates that the Islamic State continues to pivot toward Africa. The international community should provide greater financial, technical, intelligence, and logistical support to African countries and help the African Union and other regional organizations enhance their counter-terrorism capacity, he said.
China resolutely opposes terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Under the Global Security Initiative over the years, China has been helping other developing countries, especially those in Africa, build counter-terrorism capacity through bilateral and multilateral channels, said Geng. "China stands ready to work with all partners to advance the global counter-terrorism cause and actively contribute to a world with lasting peace and universal security."
