Chair,

The Chinese delegation participated in the joint statement made by the Russian representatives on behalf of China, Russia, and Iran.

Since June of last year, the United States and Israel have carried out two military strikes against Iranian peaceful nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. These attacks have severely obstructed safeguards cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, and dealt a serious blow to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) regime. Armed attacks or threats against any safeguarded nuclear facility constitute violations of the principles of the UN Charter, international law, and IAEA Statute, this is affirmed by resolutions of the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, and the IAEA General Conference. And it is a long-standing consensus among IAEA Member States. The Member States should act collectively to put an end to such destructive conduct.

China has consistently advocated resolving nuclear non-proliferation issue peacefully through dialogue and negotiation. The four-point proposal put forward by President Xi Jinping on maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as the five-point initiative by China and Pakistan on restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East, fully reflect China's longstanding position and active efforts to promote peace, prevent conflict, and advance dialogue as a means of resolving differences.

The Global Governance initiatives and Global Security Initiative advanced by President Xi Jinping actively championing core principles including sovereign equality, adherence to the rule of international law, and the practice of multilateralism, as well as a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable vision of security, attaching importance to the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and calling for resolving international disputes through dialogue and consultation rather than confrontation and conflict. In the new situation, these principles carry even greater significance for the proper handling of the Iranian nuclear issue. China will work together with the Secretariat and Member States to actively put into practice within the IAEA the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, and will spare no effort to advance the political resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue, uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and promote peace and stability in the Middle East.

Chair,

The historical evolution of the Iranian nuclear issue, including both the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its subsequent unraveling, has fully demonstrated that the way out lies in a political and diplomatic resolution, and in fostering dialogue and promoting cooperation. Unilateral sanctions and pressure, and the pursuit of political confrontation, will only undermine international non-proliferation efforts and even the NPT regime itself. The purposes and spirit of the JCPOA have not become outdated; on the contrary, they carry even greater and more urgent practical relevance today.

Within the IAEA framework, the only correct path to properly handling the Iranian nuclear issue is to support the Secretariat in maintaining dialogue and cooperation with Iran, to ensure that safeguards verification activities in Iran proceed smoothly and effectively in an environment free from political obstacles and threats of force, and to support the IAEA in continuing to play a positive and constructive role in the political and diplomatic resolution process of the Iranian nuclear issue. It must be pointed out that it was precisely after the United States and the E3 pushed a resolution on the Iranian nuclear issue at the June Board of Governors meeting last year that Israel and the United States brazenly launched attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities subject to safeguards. This was followed by a second strike against Iran earlier this year. This is the fundamental reason why Iran's cooperation with IAEA safeguards verification was forced to suspend and has yet to return to normal.

I wish to emphasize that pursuing political confrontation within the Board of Governors will not resolve the Iranian nuclear issue; pushing for resolutions will only escalate tensions, and referral to the UN Security Council offers no way out. The Iranian nuclear issue can only be properly resolved on the premise of fully respecting Iran's legitimate right as an NPT state party to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, through political and diplomatic efforts and safeguards cooperation within the IAEA framework. The Board of Governors should play a constructive role in support of diplomatic negotiations, and create conducive conditions for cooperation between Iran and the IAEA and for the political and diplomatic resolution process of the Iranian nuclear issue, rather than creating new obstacles.

In light of the above, the Chinese delegation will vote against the draft resolution on the table.