President,

I thank Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Director Lisa Doughten for their briefings.

The question of Yemen has dragged on for many years. The Yemeni people remain trapped in the vortex of conflict and have suffered deeply from prolonged instability. At present, the political process in Yemen is stalled, security risks are compounding, and the humanitarian situation is deteriorating at an accelerated pace. Restoring peace and stability in Yemen faces numerous challenges. The international community should redouble its efforts to promote an early political settlement of the Yemen issue and enable the Yemeni people to once again enjoy peace and tranquility. I wish to make the following points:

First, we must remain committed to a political solution and continue to advance the Yemeni peace process. Recent developments in southern Yemen have drawn wide attention. China supports the safeguarding of Yemen's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and calls on all parties to resolve their differences through political dialogue, strive for early reconciliation, and launch economic reconstruction as soon as possible. The international community generally recognizes the legitimate Government of Yemen, and we welcome the successful formation of the new Yemeni government. Recently, the legitimate Government of Yemen and the Houthis held meetings on the implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement. We hope the relevant agreement will be implemented to lay a foundation of trust for reconstruction. As the United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement prepares to withdraw, a smooth transition and proper transfer of responsibilities must be ensured so that the United Nations can continue to play an important role in advancing the Yemeni peace process.

Second, we must prevent escalation and jointly safeguard peace and stability in Yemen. We call on all Yemeni parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, refrain from resorting to force or triggering new conflicts, and maintain overall stability in Yemen. The situation in the Red Sea is generally stable at present, and every effort must be made to consolidate this positive momentum. The Houthis should respect the rights of merchant vessels of all countries to navigate in the waters of the Red Sea in accordance with international law, and safeguard the security of shipping lanes in those waters. Relevant parties should earnestly respect Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Third, we must expand humanitarian assistance and make every effort to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Yemen is facing the most severe food crisis in years, with 18 million people suffering from acute hunger. The international community must increase humanitarian support to Yemen, ensure adequate funding for United Nations humanitarian agencies, and prevent the further spread and escalation of the food crisis. International humanitarian law must be observed. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted. The safety of United Nations personnel and facilities must be guaranteed. China once again calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained United Nations staff, and reiterates that such acts are unacceptable.

President,

The situation in Yemen and the Red Sea is closely linked to developments in the Middle East. Only when a genuine, comprehensive and lasting ceasefire is achieved in Gaza can the situation in the Red Sea be fundamentally stabilized. We call for full compliance with the first-phase Gaza ceasefire agreement, an end to all attacks that violate the ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, and the implementation of the two-State solution. China will continue to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts toward a political settlement of the Yemen issue and the restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East.

President,

In response to the remarks made by the representative of the United States, I wish to stress that China strictly abides by and implements Security Council resolutions and faithfully fulfills its international obligations. China has consistently adopted a prudent and responsible approach to military exports and exercises strict control over the export of dual-use items. Chinese enterprises have the right, in accordance with WTO rules and market principles, to conduct normal economic and trade cooperation with other countries. The US Representative, without presenting any evidence, has resorted to insinuation and groundless accusations against China. We find this regrettable, and we reject such accusations.

I thank you, President.