UNITED NATIONS - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai on Tuesday called for the international community to adopt a comprehensive approach with political, economic and diplomatic means involved in combating terrorism, which is a threat to global peace and security.

Addressing a Security Council open debate on comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism, Cui said terrorism is the result of a complex array of political, economic and social factors which cannot be resolved by military means alone

"We need to adopt a comprehensive approach to address the root cause as well as the symptoms of this scourge," he said, " terrorism Counter-terrorism efforts must be combined with economic growth and proper settlement of regional conflict. There should also be more dialogues and exchanges between different civilizations, religions and ethnic groups so as to promote mutual understanding, tolerance and harmonious coexistence."

"We need to leverage the role of the UN and its Security Council as the main channel of cooperation," Cui said, "China supports the important role of the UN and its Security Council in coordinating national efforts and shaping a global responseIt is important for countries to strictly abide by the relevant Security Council resolutions and fully implement the UN Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy."

The vice foreign minister also said that China has all along taken an active part in international counter-terrorism cooperation by providing material assistance and training to support the counter-terrorism efforts of other developing countries

"China has been suffering from terrorism for years, the ' Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement', and associated groups have carried out numerous violent terrorist attacks against China, causing heavy casualties and economic losses," he said, "such attacks are grave threats not only to China's national security but also to peace and stability of our neighborhoodThe international community should fight them with unity of purpose and action."