China to pursue peace talks to promote settlement of Syria conflict: envoy

DAMASCUS -- China has been keeping in touch with concerned parties in Syria in order to achieve a political settlement to the country's long-standing conflict through peace negotiations, a Chinese envoy said here on Saturday.

China has kept in touch with all concerned parties in Syria, aiming to restore peace and stability through peace talks, said Xie Xiaoyan, special envoy of the Chinese government on the Syrian issue, at a news briefing in the Chinese embassy in Damascus.

"We are in touch with the Syrian government, the opposition, the regional countries, and other powers that are either directly, or indirectly, involved in the Syrian issue, and this is our advantage in mediation," he said.

With regard to the political reconciliation process, Xie stressed China's commitment to promoting peace talks and implementing the achievements in Syria.

China hopes that involved parties in Syria will achieve reconciliation and eventually form a national reconciliation government, he said.

Meanwhile, the envoy pointed out that China has been providing humanitarian assistance within its capacity.

China has provided Syria and some other countries in the region with around 680 million yuan (100 million U.S. dollars) of humanitarian aid, including cash, medical equipment, medicine, and food to help alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, he said.

Xie stressed that terrorism is the common enemy of the whole world, and Syrian factions, regional countries and the international community should be united in counter-terrorism efforts without employing double standards.

Speaking of the deal on de-escalation zones, which went into force in Syria last month and largely helped curb violence in some areas, the envoy said the involved parties had reached a consensus on the establishment of de-escalation zones in the last round of peace talks held in Astana, which was an important step towards resolving Syrian crisis.

Xie voiced hope that the concerned parties would nail details of the agreement as soon as possible to bring it into effect.

There is no quick solution to the Syrian issue, Xie noted, stressing that all parties should understand each other and make joint efforts to maintain the momentum of the peace talks.

"China has patience and confidence to advance settlement of the Syrian issue on the right track through concrete work, so that the crisis could gradually ease before it is finally resolved," he said.

During his visit to Damascus on Saturday, Xie exchanged views with Syrian officials on bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues of common concern.