BEIJING: China on Saturday welcomed the naming of Lakhdar Brahimi as the new international envoy for the conflict in Syria, vowing support and cooperation for his mission after he replaced Kofi Annan.
"China will support and cooperate positively with Mr Brahimi's efforts at political mediation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Beijing, a traditional Damascus ally, differs with the West on how to handle the conflict in Syria, and along with Moscow has vetoed Security Council resolutions on the issue, putting it at odds with Washington and London.
China described Brahimi, an Algerian, as a man with "rich diplomatic experience and the right person to take the position".
It said it hoped he "could stick to the direction of solving Syrian issues politically" and seek "a peaceful, fair and proper settlement", as well as a ceasefire among all parties to end the violence "as soon as possible".
The United Nations named Brahimi to the sensitive post on Friday, with efforts to end the fighting in the Middle Eastern country unsuccessful so far, partly due to the differences among UN Security Council permanent members.
Beijing has repeatedly called for political dialogue and efforts by the UN to resolve the crisis.