China is committed to working with the countries concerned to appropriately address sea-related differences through dialogue and consultation on the basis of respect for historical facts and international law. The so-called award in the South China Sea arbitration is illegal and invalid, and China does not accept or recognize it, Charge d’affaires Ambassador Geng Shuang said at the UN Security Council open debate on maritime security on Tuesday. 

The Security Council is not an appropriate place to discuss the South China Sea issue. Just now, in her statement, the US Representative mentioned the South China Sea issue. China firmly opposes it, Geng said. 

During the meeting, the US representative claimed to “stand with the Philippines” on the South China Sea issue, calling on China to abide by the so-called “2016 arbitral ruling,” according to the website of the US Mission to the UN.

“Here is a reminder to my US colleagues. I don't know if she realized that her speech is in stark contrast to other colleagues' statements. The statements made by the Secretary-General, as well as other colleagues, all focus on how to maintain maritime security and develop international cooperation,” said Geng. 

“The US, however, has taken the opportunity in its statement to attack and discredit other countries and to suppress them recklessly. We hope that the US can join other countries in playing a constructive role in maintaining maritime security,” said Geng. 

He noted that the US under the banner of freedom of navigation, has frequently sent its military vessels to the South China Sea to flex its muscles and openly stir up confrontation between regional countries. The US itself is the biggest threat to the peace and stability of the South China Sea. 

With the joint efforts of China and ASEAN member states, the current situation in the South China Sea remains generally stable. We have the determination and ability to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation, said Geng, noting that “we hope that the US will abide by its commitment to the one-China principle.”

On Tuesday, the UN Security Council held a high-level open debate on "Strengthening Maritime Security through International Cooperation for Global Stability." The meeting, convened by Greece, the Council president for May, aimed to foster a strategic dialogue among member states on maritime security. 

Geng said at the meeting that oceans and seas nurture life, connect the world, and promote development. They are the common home of the entire humankind. Taking care of our common home, maintaining maritime security, and strengthening global ocean governance are of great significance to the promotion of world peace, stability, development, and prosperity, and a common responsibility of all countries. 

As a major maritime country, China is committed to the common guardianship of maritime homeland and the maintenance of common maritime security. We will always be a builder of global ocean governance, a promoter of sustainable development of oceans and seas, and a defender of global maritime security and stability. We stand ready to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to promote the building of an ocean order of peace, tranquility, and win-win cooperation, and to build together a maritime community with a shared future, said the ambassador. 

"It feels so familiar," said Mohammadmahdi Tinaitehrani, deputy secretary for International Affairs of the Islamic Party of Iran, as he wandered through alleys in the ancient city of Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"The architecture, food, language and dance here bear a lot of similarities to my hometown," he added. "To preserve the unique features of ethnic architecture so authentically is an achievement in itself."

Tinaitehrani is a member of a visiting delegation of nearly 200 political party representatives who participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization political parties forum last Wednesday and Thursday in Xinjiang's capital city of Urumqi. They toured Xinjiang after the forum.

From the rich cultural heritage of traditional villages and awe-inspiring natural landscapes to state-of-the-art factories and universities, the delegates explored a full spectrum of China's high-quality development and governance approach in this region -- a vivid snapshot of the nation's modernization journey.

"Hats off to everyone who has contributed to the development of the village," said Faiza Mir, an assistant professor in the Department of International Relations, University of Balochistan in Pakistan, as she marveled at the exquisite traditional musical instruments made in Jiayi Village of Aksu Prefecture in Xinjiang.

Famed for its handcrafted traditional musical instruments, the village has become a celebrated gem and is affectionately known as the "Village of Ethereal Music."

"This remote village has managed to revitalize itself through the production of musical instruments, music and dance performances, and has turned itself into a popular tourist destination," said Mir.

"I would not have imagined that a university nearly 4,000 kilometers away from the country's capital could be so modern," said Osamah Alabdulrahem, secretary-general of the Kuwaiti Progressive Movement, during a visit to Kashi University. "The most remarkable aspect of Chinese modernization is its ability to bring development to every corner of the country," he added.

"China's development is not the privilege of a few -- but a development for all the people and one that is balanced," said Ganesan Devarajan, general secretary of the All India Forward Bloc.

The modern production line of a local agricultural technology company in Kashgar left a deep impression on Mohamed Abohemila, secretary general of the Republican People's Party of Egypt and parliamentary leader of the Republican People's Party in the Egyptian House of Representatives.

Kashgar's innovative vitality testifies to China's path of high-quality development, with breakthroughs being achieved across almost all sectors, he said.

SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, who is from Kazakhstan, shared similar sentiments, noting the tangible improvements in local living standards.

Yermekbayev told Xinhua that the year 2025 has been declared "The Year of SCO Sustainable Development" and that the organization will carry out activities in fields such as poverty alleviation, green development and industrialization. He expressed hope that China's Xinjiang could serve as a hub for exchanges and mutual learning among SCO member states.

"China's achievements in clean and green energy are truly impressive," said Irfan Ashraf, a journalist from Pakistan's Samaa TV, after he learned about Xinjiang's efforts to harness its abundant solar energy resources for hydrogen production.

"Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China has enhanced connectivity with over 100 countries, bringing benefits to people around the world," he said. "We should work together to achieve regional prosperity and jointly resist the forces that seek to reverse global progress."