Africa is the largest developing continent with an major role to play in world peace and development. In recent years, African peoples have been yearning for peace, stability and development in this continent. Countries in conflicts and the sub-regional organizations involved with, as well as the African Union, all realize that peace and stability are essential preconditions for social-economic development. There has been some improvement in the pease and security situation, with some of age-long hot-spots cooling down. A number of states are striving for national reconciliation and power-sharing, which seems an African solution to African problems.

Peace and development are serious challenges that Africa faces. In the Horn of Africa and several countries into the hinterland, some deep-seated contradictions within certain countries and between neighbours remain unsolved,leading to renewed conflicts sometimes.

The impact of ongoing global economic crisis on Africa exacerbates her difficulties, not only hindering the economic development, even bringing social and political unrest and disarray in some countries.

There are various intricate factors behind the intra- and inter-state conflicts, such as intrinsic contradiction and extrinsic interference, political and economic causes, issues left over by history or challenges posed by the new situation.

The complexity of Africa's problems requires a collective and collaborative approach provide a credible opportunity for the continent to tackle her security problems.

We need to repair the house before it rains.Prevention is better than cure. Quite often, Conflicts come from poverty, especially inequality in wealth. Improvements in people's livelihood could help removing some of the factors of instability, we can concentrate on construction only with a peaceful and tranquil environment.

We need to bring all litigants together and remain impartial in mediating brawls.

We need all love our neighbours, neighbours are dearer than distant relatives. An amicable neighbourhood helps the common good.

We need to listen carefully to parties involved in conflict mediation, not imposing or dictating external solutions to them. Even a just judge finds it hard to settle family quarrels. China supports international intervention under the condition that the host government grant consent for peace-keeping deployment with UN authorization, for upholding the principle of respect for sovereignty through non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries.

We need to support Africa's efforts to confront her own challenges, to work together to assist Africa in addressing her own problems by developing indigenous conflict prevention and management capacities.

As the only developing country among the 5 permanent members of the Security Council, China has been caring about peace and security in Africa, heeding with an open mind the opinions of all parties involved whenever African cases are under debate at the Council, supporting the legitimate claims and defending legal rights of African countries.

China is the largest contributor for UN peacekeeping missions among the P5, providing now more than 1,600 (since early 1990s, totalled more than 12,000) military observers, engineers, medical teams and other specialists in support of peace and stability . It also made several donations to AU for its peacekeeping missions in Sudan and Somali, as well as provided some African countries with relevant training courses.

China supports the conflict-resolution efforts of African countries, sub-regional organizations and AU. The Chinese Government appointed its Special Representative for African Affairs in May 2007, H.E. Ambassador Liu Guijin has been working hard in smoothing away the conflicts in Darfur, Sudan and other parts of the Continent.