UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Thursday stressed the UN Security Council should attach more importance to preventive diplomacy and mediation in solving disputes.

The 15-member UN body should promote the culture of peace, use more political means such as mediation and good offices to address disputes and promote diplomatic solution of crisis and avoid as much as possible resorting to the use or threat of use of sanctions, Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, told a council meeting.

Liu said that voices of the related countries and regional countries should be heard by the council to enhance the rationality of the council's decision.

The envoy also noted that the council should focus its resources and energy on addressing the most urgent issues that threaten international peace and security, in accordance with its mandate under the UN Charter.

Liu reckoned that council members should have been consulted fully about issues, with the aim to secure broad consensus.

"There is a need to avoid forcing through a text against serious differences among parties, so as to maintain the unity of the council and preserve the authority of the resolutions of the council," he said.