China asks for UN role

The Syria crisis should be handled under the framework of the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Wang, while accompanying President Xi Jinping on a visit to Uzbekistan, made the comments on Sunday in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The international community, Wang said, should adhere to the basic norms in international relations and reject any use of chemical weapons.

That means the issue should be brought back to the framework of the UN Security Council, where parties can seek consensus and formulate a proper approach, he said.

As permanent Security Council members, China and the United States should take the lead in the council's role in safeguarding international peace and security, Wang said.

China is opposed to the use of force in international relations and urged countries to think twice about planned actions against Syria, Wang said.

Wang's comments came after Xi told his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of a G20 meeting last week that "a political solution is the only right way out of the Syria crisis".

"A military strike cannot solve the problem at the root," Xi said. "We expect certain countries to have second thoughts before any action."

Obama has said he plans a military strike on Syria but will first seek approval from Congress.

Xinhua

(China Daily 09/10/2013 page12)