US drafting outline of new UN resolution on Syria

UNITED NATIONS / BEIJING - The United States is drawing up a new draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria demanding humanitarian access to protest cities, diplomats said on Tuesday.

A Free Syrian Army soldier walks next to a burned tractor in Sarmin, north of Syria on Tuesday. According to residents of the city at least 14 people were killed during clashes between the Free Syrian Army and President Bashar al-Assad's forces. [Rodrigo Abd / Associated Press]

If put to a vote it would be the third time Western nations have tried to get a Security Council resolution on the 11-month-old crisis.

Britain, France and Germany, with Arab support, took the lead on the last two resolutions, which were vetoed by Russia and China.

"This resolution will concentrate on humanitarian access to the cities, but it will indicate that the government is the cause of the crisis," one diplomat said.

"At the moment there are just tentative contacts on the resolution," another Security Council diplomat said, confirming work on the outline. "It has not been sent to the whole council and we don't know when this will happen."

China's stance

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi exchanged views on the Syria issue during a phone call with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi, and his counterparts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Algeria on Monday and Tuesday.

China adheres to safeguard the peace and stability of Syria and the Middle East, Yang said, adding that all related parties should end violence and start political dialogue on reform as soon as possible.

Yang also called for the international community to create conditions for this goal and provide humanitarian assistance for Syria.

Arabian countries welcomed China's efforts to keep timely communication with them, and would like to develop long-term cooperative ties with China on the Syria issue.

AFP-China Daily-Xinhua