
Jia Guide, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, speaks at a special session on January 23, 2026. (Photo: Screenshot from the UN Human Rights Council video)
China's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva elaborated on China's position and voiced three points of opposition during a special session held by the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Jia Guide, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, elaborated on China's position during the special session, stressing that China upholds the right of all countries to independently choose their own path of human rights development.
According to the UN Human Rights Council video, Jia said, China "opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. China also opposes the imposition of country-specific human rights mechanisms without the consent of the country concerned and opposes double standards on human rights."
Jia emphasized that the situation within Iran is, in essence, a matter of internal affairs and should be decided by the Iranian people themselves. "China consistently advocates adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law. It opposes the use or threat of force in international relations, the imposition of one's own will on other countries," he said.
The international community should, on the premise of respecting Iran's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, "support the Iranian government and its people in overcoming difficulties, maintaining national stability, and safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests. China is of the view that all parties should resolve differences through dialogue, and China is ready to play a constructive role to this end," Jia added.
Recently, developments in Iran have attracted widespread attention. At the request of countries including Iceland, the UN Human Rights Council convened the special session, the Xinhua News Agency reported.