China takes UN Security Council helm with eye to marking 70th anniversaries

The Beijing envoy said he was concerned with how to involve concerned countries in the regions and their regional organizations "in resolving differences and disputes through dialogue, negotiation, reconciliation, good offices and other peaceful means."

"It is also a very important occasion to foster international democracy and rule of law," he said, calling for nations to uphold "the authority of international law and emphasize their rights in accordance with international law," adding that "all countries should participate equally in the making of international rules relating to peace and security."

Because the ministerial debate will be held in the Security Council, Liu pointed out it provides "an important platform to foster the notion of integrated solutions to conflicts and disputes in so many areas (where) the conflicts are the result of deep seated socio-economic problems."

On Sunday, Liu took over the rotating council presidency for this month from Cristian Barros Mellet, the permanent representative of Chile to the UN. The Security Council presidency rotates every month among the council members in alphabetical order of the state's name in English. The last time China held the presidency was in November 2013.

Briefing reporters Tuesday on the council's Program of Work for February, the ambassador said he scheduled consultations and meetings on issues affecting peace and security in a number of African nations, Iraq, Kosovo, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As the council president, China shoulders "enormous responsibility" as the council is entrusted to work "on behalf of the entire membership of the United Nations," he said.

"China intends to conduct its presidency in an impartial fair and transparent way," Liu said. "We will work together with the other council members to inject greater efficiency in the work of the council and also to take a results-oriented approach."

That cooperation is aimed at "maximizing the impact on the issues under its review or discussion in difference parts of the world," he said. "China will, as we have done in the past, engage the other members, the (UN) Secretariat and outside the Security Council, to draw upon their perspective, advice and proposals so that the council's work will be more broad-based in dealing with various issues."

"Of course, we will keep in touch with the other organs in the UN system, the General Assembly and other bodies, to insure that we achieve synergy according to our division of labor in the efforts that we make to try to address the issues we face," the Chinese ambassador said.