A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called for efforts to advance the political process in South Sudan, urging all armed factions to join the country's 2018 peace agreement. 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of South Sudan. Several South Sudanese parties signed a revitalized peace agreement in Khartoum on September 12, 2018, after years of civil war. 

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said the South Sudanese have overcome numerous challenges and made new progress in nation-building over the past decade, adding that there is a need to maintain the positive momentum of the political process. 

China welcomes positive progress on key issues in the implementation of the deal, such as government formation and appointment of governors, Zhang told the Security Council. 

China encourages all parties in South Sudan to consolidate existing gains; move forward key tasks related to security arrangements, the reconstitution of parliament, and preparations for general elections; stay on course in implementing the peace agreement and resolve potential differences by peaceful means, Zhang said. 

"We call on armed factions that have not yet joined the agreement to do so as soon as possible. The implementation of the agreement faces practical difficulties, such as a lack of funding. We hope the international community will provide responsive assistance," he added.

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Developing the economy and improving people's livelihood can help eliminate the root causes of conflict, and the immediate priority is to provide anti-COVID-19 support to the country, he stressed. 

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, China has provided several batches of anti-pandemic materials and humanitarian assistance to South Sudan and has decided to donate COVID-19 vaccines to the country, he noted. 

While Chinese medical teams remain on the ground, additional teams of medical experts have been dispatched, he added.

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David Shearer, the outgoing top UN envoy for South Sudan, warned that the peace process in South Sudan remains extremely fragile despite some progress. 

(With input from Xinhua)