Chinese experts to join Syria weapons inspections

BEIJING - China has decided to send experts to join in the inspections and destruction of chemical weapons in Syria, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday.

"China will provide financial aid in this regard," Hong told a daily news briefing when asked about the country's role in facilitating a political solution on the Syria issue.

China has been actively engaged in consultations with the United Nations Security Council and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Executive Council to facilitate the adoption of decisions and resolutions relating to Syria, Hong said.

He said the efforts helped bring Syria from the brink of war back on the path to peace and sending a unanimous call to the international community.

Hong reiterated China's firm commitment to the purposes, principles and basic rules of international relations set in the UN Charter and its opposition to the threat or use of force.

"China supports the UN inquiry group's investigation of Syria's chemical weapons in an independent, objective, fair and professional way,"  he said, voicing opposition to the use of chemical weapons by anyone or any organization.

China maintains that countries in the region and the international community should play an active and constructive role to facilitate a political solution to the issues in Syria, according to the spokesman.

"We welcome and support the second Geneva conference on Syria to be held as soon as possible and look forward to positive results from the meeting," he told reporters.

China has been engaged in mediation with the Syria government and opposition and has called on them to proceed from the the national and people's interest to cease fire and end the violence, Hong said, adding that China urged the parties involved to end the crisis and reconstruct their homes.

Hong expressed China's deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Syria and about how Syrians have suffered. China has offered humanitarian assistance within its capacity to displaced people in Syria and refugees outside the country.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a speech at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly on Friday that China has recently been implementing emergency humanitarian material aid worth 15 million yuan ($2.45 million) for Jordan, and has contributed 24 million yuan ($3.92 million) to the World Food Program and the World Health Organization for the displaced people within Syria and Syrian refugees in Lebanon respectively.

China will continue efforts to relieve the humanitarian crisis in Syria in accordance with the developments of situation and actual need, Hong vowed.

According to the spokesman, China will spare no effort to work with the international community to implement Syria decisions and resolutions and make due contribution to a comprehensive, proper and long-term easing of tensions in Syria.

The United Nations Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution aimed at ridding Syria of chemical weapons, which came after the OPCW agreed on a plan to destroy Syria's stockpiles by mid-2014.

Earlier this month, Syria officially agreed to join the international convention on banning chemical weapons and is expected to assume its membership on October 14, a major step in the international efforts to end the Syrian civil war of more than two years, which is thought to have killed more 100,000 people and displaced more than 7 million residents.