Restoring peace requires dialogue and consultation, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council Briefing on Arms Supply to Ukraine on Thursday.

"Weapons may be used to win the war, but they cannot win peace," Geng noted.

Stressing the Security Council has considered in multiple meetings the issue of arms supply to Ukraine, Geng said China has expressed its position and propositions many times, and in particular, China found the dire consequences of continuous provision of weapons to the battlefield worrying and disconcerting.

Currently, the massive influx of weapons and equipment to the battlefield persists with expanding spillover effect, making the hope of ceasing hostilities more remote, he added.

With an increasing number of countries having raised their voice of reason and proposed peace initiatives, the Chinese envoy hoped that relevant parties will respond positively to the call of the international community, keep calm and maintain restraint, refrain from escalation of tensions, step up engagement, galvanize consensus, and gradually create conditions for the final settlement of the crisis.

Geng reiterated China's stance on the Ukraine issue, saying China has been consistently standing on the side of peace and dialogue, and actively promoting peace talks.

China will continue to work on the basis of our position paper, namely China's position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, step up dialogue and communication with all parties, and play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, he added.

(Cover: Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, speaks during a Security Council meeting at UN headquarters, June 23, 2023. /CFP)