China to cooperate with Gulf nations for Syria crisis

China will continue its efforts and welcomes any proposal that promotes the political resolution of the Syria issue, as related parties are working to ease tension in the Arabian country.

China is ready to step up communication and cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council, and play a constructive role in seeking a political solution in Syria, China's envoy on Syria Zhang Ming said during a meeting with the GCC head on Sunday in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

The visiting Chinese assistant foreign minister reaffirmed the country's six-point statement on Syria, stressing that China and GCC nations have appealed for an immediate end to violence, the effective protection of civilians, the implementation of humanitarian relief as well as respect for Syria's independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity.

GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayanis said that Arab countries treat China as a real friend and have similar stances on Syria, and expressed the hope that China and the GCC can work together on a political solution to quickly resolve the crisis.

Zhang is also scheduled to visit Egypt and France to explain China's position on Syria.

Also on Sunday, United Nations-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

"The situation is so bad and so dangerous that all of us cannot afford to fail," said Annan.

But he rejected "foreign interference in Syrian affairs" and said he is committed "to working in a just, even-handed and independent way" to achieve a peaceful solution.

According to the official SANA news agency, Assad said his country is ready to make honest efforts to solve the recent domestic unrest, but opposition "terrorists" were blocking the political solution.

Annan was to meet with some opposition leaders in Doha, Qatar, according to UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

Ban on Monday voiced his appreciation of the recent initiatives by Russia and China to seek a political solution to the Syria issue.

China supports Annan's mediation efforts and hopes related parties coordinate with him, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Monday.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York on Monday at a UN Security Council special meeting on the Arab crisis. Russia said on Friday it opposed an "unbalanced" Washington-backed UN draft resolution on Syria because it called on the government only to end violence but did not mention the rebels.

Lavrov also met with his counterparts from Arab League states on Saturday in Cairo and agreed on a five-point formula to resolve the crisis and "end the violence whatever its source".

China supports the resolution reached by the Arab ministers, which urged the Syrian government and opposition to cooperate with the UN and the Arab League's mediation efforts, Liu said on Monday.

An Huihou, former Chinese ambassador to Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt, said that China and Russia's stance, which is basically in line with Annan's, has caused some Arab League countries that had been silent on the Syria issue to voice their opinions and play a more positive role in the efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis.

You can contact the writers at diaoying@chinadaily.com.cn and fujing@chinadaily.com.cn

Xinhua and AFP contributed to this story.