BEIJING: China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday it supported a new, beefed-up draft resolution on the violence in Syria presented by Russia to the U.N. Security Council last week.
The proposal offers a chance for the 15-nation panel to overcome deadlock and deliver its first statement of purpose on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on nine months of protests which has killed 5,000 people according to the UN and provoked Western and Arab League sanctions on Damascus.
The council has been split, with Western countries harshly critical of Syria pitted against Russia, China and non-aligned countries that have avoided blaming Assad for the violence. Long-time Syrian ally and arms supplier Russia took a step closer to the Western position last Thursday when it presented a surprise draft resolution at the United Nations which stepped up its criticism of the bloodshed in Syria.
“If there are discussions at the Security Council on the Syrian situation they should be conducive towards ameliorating the tense state of affairs, pushing political dialogue, bridging differences and maintaining peace and stability in the region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said.
“China supports the Russian proposal and applauds Russia’s hard work at trying to resolve the Syrian crisis, and is willing to maintain contacts with all sides on this,” he told a regular news briefing, without elaborating.
China has played a low-key role in the turmoil that has swept the Middle East and North Africa, but it has also moved swiftly to normalise ties with governments which have been overthrown by popular revolts, such as in Libya.
Syrian authorities blame armed gangs for the violence and say 1,100 soldiers and police have been killed. (UNI)
