China has not yet endorsed the Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (explosive weapons in populated areas).
It did, however, participate in the negotiations towards a Political Declaration. At the March 2021 consultations, China advocated for the document to directly reference the UN Charter in its principles. It also suggested adding a paragraph that reads as follows: “We recall that every state has the duty, in conformity with the UN Charter, to refrain in its international relations from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the UN Charter.”1 At the final round of consultations in June 2022, China thanked the Irish Ambassador for the clarification that the Political Declaration does not aim to add any new legal obligations or new legal interpretations. It also proposed the addition of the caveat “and in any event” in paragraphs 1.7, 1.8 and 3.3.2
Statements and positions
China delivered a statement during the May 2019 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, drawing attention to the need to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in order to protect innocent civilians.3 At the UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict on 5 July 2023, China called on all parties to conflict “to strictly implement the relevant Security Council resolutions, end all indiscriminate attacks and violence that could harm children, refrain from the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas and address the problem of impunity for those who violate children’s rights.”4