BEIJING: China backs a "political transition" in Syria to end worsening bloodshed after 18 months of unrest, Chinese Foreign...
BEIJING: China backs a "political transition" in Syria to end worsening bloodshed after 18 months of unrest, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on Wednesday while repeating Beijing's opposition to forceful foreign intervention.
The government of President Bashar al-Assad has been beset by growing opposition and armed rebellion, and Yang's remarks highlighted Beijing efforts to accommodate calls for change while resisting Western pressure to open the way to military involvement.
"We and many countries all support a period of political transition in Syria," Yang said at a news conference after talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"But we also believe that any solution should come from the people of Syria and reflect their wishes," he said. "It should not be imposed from outside."
On June 30, China joined other world powers in agreeing that a transitional government should be formed in Syria. China has also repeatedly urged the Syrian government to talk with the opposition and take steps to meet public demands for political change.
But China is wary of calls for change snowballing into foreign intervention, and Yang's remarks reflected that caution.
Last year, China joined Russia in approving a U.N. Security Council resolution on intervening in Libya, but later suggested NATO powers had exceeded the U.N. mandate by expanding a bombing campaign that proved decisive in toppling Muammar Gaddafi.
China and Russia are wary of a repeat in Syria.
"We advocate that Syria should initiate a political transition process led by the Syrian people as soon as possible," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily briefing after Yang's remarks.
"We believe Syria's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected."