China welcomes UN resolution on crash investigation

To avoid repeating the tragedy of the downed Malaysian airliner, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged all concerned parties on Monday to not politicize the issue but rather reach a cease-fire in Ukraine.

Beijing welcomes the UN resolution on the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, Wang said.

Wang, who is accompanying President Xi Jinping on a Latin America tour, made the remarks shortly after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution demanding safe and unrestricted access of international experts to the crash site.

The resolution is in line with China's consistent position that an independent, fair and objective international investigation must be conducted to determine the facts, Wang said. He noted that China played a constructive role in the deliberations and unanimous passage of the resolution.

Observers have said that the air disaster, which claimed 298 lives, increased the urgency for a cease-fire in Ukraine for the safety of international experts conducting investigations.

The International Civil Aviation Organization should be allowed to play a key role in the investigation and international investigators should be given full access to the crash site, Wang said.

The minister noted that before findings of an investigation are reached, all parties should refrain from conjecture and prejudgment and, more important, politicizing the issue.

The crash further suggests that an early settlement of the Ukraine crisis is fundamental to maintaining regional peace and stability, he said.

"We urge all Ukrainian parties to cease fire as soon as possible and engage in dialogue and consultation to attain a comprehensive, lasting and balanced political solution."

The resolution came amid concern over a potential cover-up in the investigation. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke on Tuesday of "evidence tampering on an industrial scale".

Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the negotiations for the resolution were difficult due to the huge differences between the parties, and China made many efforts to bridge the differences.

"All parties should act for the sake of regional stability, given that no one wants to see more conflict in Ukraine," Ruan said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/23/2014 page12)