A Chinese envoy on Friday called on the international community to fully respect Burundi's ownership and leadership over its elections and provide assistance in view of the government's needs.

The international community should prioritize efforts in creating a favorable external environment for peace and stability of the country, said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, in a Security Council meeting.

"Elections are the internal affairs of a country," said the Chinese envoy.

According to Wu, at the end of last year, the Burundian government started preparations for the 2020 elections through consultations with various political parties in the country. It has formulated a roadmap and committed to raise all necessary funding for the elections.

"This fully demonstrated the ability and resolve of the Burundian government and people to take care of their own problems," he added.

The Burundian government has stated on many occasions that its situation does not pose a threat to regional peace and security, and that the question of Burundi should not remain on the Security Council's agenda, Wu said.

The Council should listen seriously to the voice of Burundi and make timely and necessary adjustments in light of the latest developments, he added.

Wu said that the Burundian government has formulated a ten-year development plan covering 2018 to 2027, and more than 60,000 Burundian refugees have voluntarily returned home from neighboring countries. "This shows continued improvement in the Burundian situation and the strong aspiration of the Burundian government and people for peace and development."