A Chinese envoy said Monday that respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states is the foundation of common security.

The important principle of respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity as set out in the UN Charter is the bedrock of contemporary international law and international relations, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"If this principle is ignored and abandoned, the whole system of international law will be shaken to its roots. The world will return to the law of the jungle and common security will be totally out of the question," he warned.

"For this reason, we must take a clear-cut stand, always respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, respect the development path and social system independently chosen by the people of each and every country, and respect every country's effort to safeguard its state unity and national solidarity."

This is a golden rule of state-to-state interactions, and also the foundation and perimeter for achieving common security, the envoy made the remarks during an open meeting of the UN Security Council on common security.

Experiences in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, among others, serve as a warning to us all the time that interfering in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of counter-terrorism, democracy and human rights not only brings huge losses, harm and sufferings for the countries concerned, but also erodes the common values of mankind, such as democracy and freedom, and it undermines efforts for common security, rather than helping them, he pointed out.

China always respects other countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity, upholds international fairness and justice, and supports global efforts in achieving common security, Zhang said, adding that China also will take all measures to firmly safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Zhang called for efforts to establish a security concept that meets the needs of the times, which is the premise for realizing common security.

It must be recognized that in the era of globalization, countries live either in security together or in peril together, he noted.

Clinging to a Cold War mentality and practicing unilateralism, zero-sum games, bloc confrontation and power politics will not only make it difficult to guarantee one's own long-term security, but will also lead to the escalation of crises and the opposite side of common security, he added.

Zhang highlighted the need to create a stable strategic security environment, which, he said, is the bottom line for maintaining common security.

Driven by the thinking of the so-called strategic competition among great powers, the global strategic security environment has continued to deteriorate, he said, noting that the international non-proliferation regime represented by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is facing the most severe challenges since the end of the Cold War.

Countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should fulfill their special and primary responsibilities by further reducing their nuclear weapons substantively and substantially in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner, he said.

The UN Security Council is the core of the international collective security mechanism and the most authoritative and legitimate body of the multilateral security system. It has an irreplaceable role in safeguarding common security, said Zhang.

China is ready to work with all other countries, using the UN as the core platform, to jointly respond to regional disputes and global issues such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity and biosecurity, and build a world that is safer, better, and more peaceful, he added. 

(With input from Xinhua)