UNITED NATIONS - China Friday urged the United Nations and Security Council to give more attention to Africa and called on the international community to provide greater support to the region in order to maintain peace and security.

Related readings:  China urges West to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe  FM Yang to set off on tour of Africa  Key African economist hails China's investment  South Africa promotes business with China

Addressing an open debate of the UN Security Council on the interdependence between security and development, Li Baodong, China's permanent representative to the UN said the inter-linkages between peace and development are most pronounced in Africa. There will be no world prosperity and stability without peace and development in the region. He called on the international community to provide greater support and more assistance to regional countries, AU and other regional and subregional organizations to maintain African peace and security.

Li stressed that security and development are mutually linked and reinforcing. To safeguard peace and promote development, the international community should increase development input and eradicate root causes of conflicts.

"Poverty and underdevelopment are the major causes for triggering conflicts and breeding terrorism. The developed countries should further increase its development aid, provide debts relief to developing countries, open up markets, transfer technology and help the developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals as soon as possible."

Li said development can be anchored only in an environment free from war and turbulence. The UN and Security Council should vigorously promote peaceful culture, encourage and support peaceful resolutions to disputes through dialogue, consultations and good offices.

In addition, greater emphasis should be given to peacebuilding so as to prevent relapse into conflicts. "In post-conflict countries and regions, simultaneous progress should be made in the fields of politics, security and development throughout development and reconstruction process, " said Li.

"Capacity building should be prioritized in the post-conflict countries to enhance governance, provide basic services, advance development and reconstruction so that the people could enjoy peaceful 'dividend' quickly. This is conducive to consolidating political reconciliation process and stabilizing post-conflict situations, " he said.