China "deeply concerned" by situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: envoy

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Thursday said that China is "deeply concerned" by the recent shelling on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

"We call on the parties concerned to exercise restraint, act with caution, refrain from any action that may compromise nuclear safety and security, and spare no effort to minimize the possibility of accidents," he told a UN Security Council briefing.

Zhang chaired Thursday's meeting on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as president of the Security Council for the month of August.

Speaking in his national capacity, the envoy said that the shelling did not pose an immediate threat to nuclear safety, and the radiation level remained normal, citing information obtained by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from Ukraine's nuclear regulator.

"Nevertheless, the shelling did cause damage to the physical integrity of the plant, its safety and security system, power supply and personnel safety, which sounded a nuclear alarm to the international community," he said.