China firmly opposes mercenary activities in Africa and supports tackling the issue, Ma Zhaoxu, President Xi Jinping’s special envoy, said at a United Nations Security Council high-level debate on mercenary activities in Africa on Monday.

“Mercenary activities threaten international peace and security and jeopardize peace and stability of the developing countries, especially those of the African countries,” said Ma, who is also China’s permanent representative to the UN.

Ma called on the international community to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms governing international relations, and to adhere to the principle of sovereign equality and noninterference in internal affairs of other countries on countering mercenary activities.

“We must support African countries in their effort to maintain their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and fully respect the leadership of African countries in regional affairs and support the approach of African solutions to African problems,” he said.

The international community should also “have integrated policies in place (and) pull together resources in different fields to strengthen coordination and law enforcement so as to generate strong synergy in fighting terrorist activities”, he added.

“We should support African countries in accelerating their development, reducing poverty, eliminating the root causes of conflict and turmoil, and stepping up socioeconomic developments,” he said.

Ma said China firmly supports African countries and people in their pursuit of peace, tranquility, prosperity and development as well as Africa’s implementation of the African Union’s agenda 2063 and its silencing of the guns by 2020.

Ma said China decided to set up the China-Africa Peace and Security Fund to support peace, security, stability and peacekeeping cooperation between China and Africa.

Equatorial Guinea, which holds the presidency of the Security Council for February, organized the high-level debate, presided over by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. Obiang met with Ma before the meeting and expressed appreciation that Xi sent a special representative.