According to the website of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, on April 21, Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang made a speech at the public meeting of the UN Security Council on Haiti issues.

The full text is as follows:

Mr. President:

I thank Special Representative Savanada and National Security Advisor Juma for their briefings, and welcome the representatives of Haiti and the Dominican Republic to today's meeting. I have also listened carefully to the statements made by representatives of civil society.

We are deeply concerned about the current situation in Haiti where gangs run rampant, the crisis worsens, the state is on the verge of collapse, and the people are mired in dire straits. I will make three points.

First, Haiti itself must take responsibility. As a sovereign state, Haiti should bear the main responsibility for governing the country. At present, the political deadlock continues, parties and factions remain divided, and holding elections on schedule is almost out of the question. We urge all parties in Haiti to prioritize the interests of the country and its people, strengthen communication and consultation, show flexibility, and jointly promote a political process led by Haitians and owned by Haitians. They should form a legitimate, effective, and responsible government as soon as possible. We urge the Haitian authorities to abandon the mindset of "waiting, relying, and demanding" and fulfill their duties, demonstrating responsibility by prioritizing limited resources in the fields of security and livelihood to address urgent needs while continuously enhancing their ability to respond to crises. This is the key to Haiti's effective response to multiple crises and the prerequisite for any external assistance to play a role.

Second, external support must be practical. The United Nations has been involved in Haiti's situation for 30 years, deploying several peacekeeping and political missions, but the input and results are completely disproportionate. We should draw lessons from history, focus on the root causes of problems, and provide more targeted and practical help. In terms of the political process, we should support the Commonwealth of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Office of the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Haiti (MINUJUSTH) to continue mediation efforts and expedite the implementation of transition arrangements that suit Haiti's reality and gain broad recognition. In terms of security governance, we should encourage donor countries, regional states, and regional organizations to strengthen cooperation with the Haitian authorities, promote the Multinational Security Assistance Mission to play a greater role, and effectively implement the arms embargo imposed by the Security Council on Haiti to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons and ammunition. In terms of humanitarian aid, we should mobilize international community resources, rally various forces, and continue to provide more assistance to the Haitian people to alleviate the suffering of the populace.

Third, those who instigated the crisis must assume responsibility. Haiti is the first Latin American country to declare independence, yet it has suffered misfortune due to prolonged military occupation, external interference, and economic exploitation. Throughout this process, the United States has always been the largest external factor influencing Haiti's security, stability, and development.

-- The United States has always been the mastermind behind Haiti's political landscape. Over the past hundred years, the United States has brazenly sent troops to Haiti, propped up puppet regimes, tampered with Haiti's constitution, and deeply intervened in Haiti's politics. It was precisely under U.S. manipulation that the current political transition arrangement in Haiti was formed a year ago, but a year later, due to changes in the U.S. government, it has neglected Haiti's political transition, allowing it to fall into internal strife and chaos.

-- The United States has always been the primary source of weapons for Haiti. Reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Sanctions Committee expert group have repeatedly pointed out this fact. Although the United States has agreed to an arms embargo on all of Haiti by the Security Council, it has consistently been perfunctory in its implementation, tacitly permitting illegal weapons to flow into Haiti endlessly from Florida. The equipment level of Haiti's gangs even exceeds that of Haiti's police force.

-- The United States has always been the actual dominant force in Haiti's security. In October 2023, the United States pushed for the formation of the Multinational Security Assistance Mission, claiming it would provide financial support for the mission. However, over the past year or so, the U.S. investment has been relatively limited, and at one point, it attempted to transform the assistance mission into a United Nations peacekeeping operation under the pretext of insufficient funds, shamelessly treating the United Nations and other member states as "ATMs."

-- The United States has always been the main disruptor of Haiti's development. While constantly expressing concern for the Haitian people, the United States, when Haiti most needed help, cut foreign aid drastically under the pretext of "national priority," and continued to repatriate Haitian immigrants. What is most astonishing is that recently, when the United States unilaterally imposed tariffs on all trading partners, it even levied a so-called "base tariff" of 10% on Haiti, a least developed country listed by the United Nations. The unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying of the United States not only targets so-called competitors like China but also spares no vulnerable country like Haiti, which is on the verge of collapse and suffering. How brutal, how absurd, and how tragic.

All of the above, we hope the U.S. side will reflect more. The future of Haiti should not become a sacrifice for the United States to pursue its own strategic interests. "Being too close to the United States" should not be a curse for Haiti either.

Mr. President,

We express our deep sympathy for the plight of the Haitian people. We commend multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Office in Haiti (BINUH) for fulfilling their responsibilities in Haiti, welcome regional states like CELAC to actively carry out mediation, and recognize the work done by the multinational security assistance mission led by Kenya. The international community should continue to help Haiti strengthen its mechanisms and capabilities and promote Haiti's early path toward independence, self-reliance, and autonomous development. In this process, China is willing to continue playing a constructive role with all parties.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495914920169472550/

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