China ready to play constructive role to help Syria restore peace, stability, envoy says

UNITED NATIONS -- China hopes Syria will achieve peace and restore stability as soon as possible, and is ready to play a constructive role to that end, a Chinese envoy said on Tuesday.

"Recently, the situation in Syria has undergone drastic changes, to which China pays great attention," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said in his remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on Syria.

"It is imperative to stabilize the security situation," Geng stressed, calling on all parties concerned in Syria to exercise calm and restraint, refrain from actions that may escalate the situation, and prevent new conflicts.

The ambassador urged all parties to take measures to prohibit attacks against civilians and protect the security of diplomatic missions and foreign nationals in the country.

"We hope that Syria's state institutions will remain operational to create conditions for the restoration of social order," and that "countries with influence, especially regional countries, will play a constructive role in stabilizing the situation in Syria," he said.

Geng also expressed "grave concerns" over Israel's recent continued airstrikes against Syria and its entry into the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, where it claimed to expand settlements, calling on Israel to stop these actions.

The ambassador reiterated that China has long pursued a policy of friendship and cooperation with Syria, not interfering in Syria's internal affairs, and respecting the choice of the Syrian people.

Voicing his sincere expectation that Syria will achieve peace and restore stability as soon as possible, Geng said China is "ready to play a constructive role to that end."

He said that the long-term solution is to promote a political settlement, noting that China supports Syria in implementing Security Council Resolution 2254, advancing its domestic political process in line with the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned principle, and finding a national reconstruction plan through inclusive dialogue.

"The will of the Syrian people should be respected to avoid national division and fragmentation of the domestic situation," the ambassador stressed, adding that China supports the active mediation role of the UN and Special Envoy Geir Pedersen's work in facilitating dialogue between all parties.

Furthermore, Geng highlighted that the clear bottom line is the fight against terrorism, urging Syria to stand firm against any form of terrorism and extremist forces. "The Syrian territory must not be used to support terrorism or threaten the security of other countries."

As the drastic changes in Syria have exacerbated the already dire humanitarian crisis across the country, the ambassador called on all parties to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, and facilitate the humanitarian operations of UN agencies, urging the relevant country to lift the unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria immediately.