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China urges reversal of UNIFIL departure from Lebanon as conflict escalates
TL;DR
China's UN ambassador urges a review of the decision to end the UNIFIL mandate in Lebanon, citing ongoing conflict. He emphasized that a true ceasefire is lacking and that withdrawal is premature.
Key points
- China's ambassador calls for re-examination of UNIFIL's mandate termination
- UNIFIL's withdrawal is set for later this year
- Ambassador Fu highlights lack of genuine ceasefire in Lebanon
Mentioned in this story
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China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Fu Cong, has said there is a need to re-examine the UN Security Council’s decision to terminate the mandate of the longstanding peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which is due to end later this year.
Speaking to reporters on Friday at the UN headquarters in New York, Ambassador Fu expressed China’s deep concern about the situation in Lebanon as Beijing assumed the council’s rotating presidency for May.
He observed that a genuine ceasefire did not exist in Lebanon, describing the current state of conflict as merely a “lesser fire”.
“We do believe that we should revisit the decision, actually, to withdraw the UNIFIL,” Fu said, using the acronym for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
“I think at least the view of the overwhelming majority of the Security Council is that this is not the time to really, to withdraw the UNIFIL out of that part of the country,” Fu said.
China is waiting for a report from the UN secretariat, expected in June, “before we take our position”, he added.
Fu also said, “It is incumbent on Israel to stop this bombardment of Lebanon.”
China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong addresses a UNSC meeting in 2025 [File: Richard Drew/AP]
Created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops after the 1978 invasion, UNIFIL saw its mandate expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah and was responsible for a demilitarised buffer between the opposing sides.
However, the UNSC unanimously resolved last year to begin withdrawing the UNIFIL mission’s 10,800 international peacekeepers by December 2026.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 2,618 people and forced more than one million to flee their homes.
The UNIFIL mission has also faced a growing number of casualties. According to UN officials, at least six peacekeepers have been killed and many others injured since Israel began its attack on March 2.
The deaths include soldiers from various contributing nations, including Indonesia and France, who have been caught in shelling incidents and roadside attacks.
Q&A
Why is China concerned about the UNIFIL mandate in Lebanon?
China is concerned because the situation in Lebanon remains unstable, with no genuine ceasefire in place.
What did China's ambassador to the UN say about the UNIFIL withdrawal?
Ambassador Fu Cong stated that the decision to withdraw UNIFIL should be revisited, as the majority of the Security Council believes it is not the right time for withdrawal.
What is the current state of conflict in Lebanon according to China?
China describes the current conflict in Lebanon as a 'lesser fire,' indicating ongoing tensions despite the absence of full-scale warfare.
