UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon (R) meets with Li Baodong, permanent representative of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Feb 24, 2011. China will assume the rotating UN Security Council presidency for the month of March. [Photo/Xinhua]

UNITED NATIONS -- China will perform its duty as the rotating president of the UN Security Council in March in a fair, neutral way in order to effectively maintain international peace and security, the Chinese UN envoy said here on Thursday.

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Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement in an interview with the UN-based Chinese media after he exchanged views with UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on the work of the 15-nation Council in March.

"As the rotating president and a permanent member of the Security Council, we will adhere to the principle of being fair, neutral, pragmatic and efficient to ensure success of the work of the Security Council, so as to maintain international peace and security in an effective manner," Li said.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon (1st R) meets with Li Baodong (1st L), permanent representative of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Feb 24, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Council presidency rotates among the members of the Security Council in the English alphabetical order of their names. Each president holds office for one calendar month. China previously assumed the presidency in January 2010.

According to the current provisional work program in March, the Security Council is expected to review such issues as Afghanistan, the Middle East, Lebanon, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Li said.

Proposed by China, the Security Council is scheduled to hold an open debate on March 10 on Somalia to explore how to hammer out a comprehensive strategy to promote a proper solution to the issue of Somalia, he said.