Chinese warship to escort vessel

The Chinese warship scheduled to participate in the UN mission to dispose of Syria's chemical weapons set sail to the Mediterranean Sea late on Tuesday, China News Service reported on Wednesday.

It is the first time that the Chinese navy has participated in such an international convoy in the area.

The Yancheng will escort a vessel carrying chemical weapons transported out of Syria, said Liang Yang, the spokesman of the Chinese navy.

According to a plan adopted by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in November in The Hague, most critical chemicals in Syria should have been removed from the country by Dec 31 and destroyed by mid-March, while all other declared chemical materials will be eliminated by June 30. But due to logistic challenges and bad weather, the plan was delayed.

"The reason why China offered the escort service is that Beijing hopes to push for the political resolution of the Syria issue," Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Baodong told China Central Television.

"It shows the responsibilities that China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has taken to maintain peace and stability around the world.

"It indicates that it is an efficient way to resolve the Syria issue through political dialogues and negotiations, which is in line with the interests from all parties," Li said.

He added that China will maintain close communication with countries including Syria, the United States and Russia, to ensure that the OPCW-UN plan is effectively implemented.

"Unlike other peacekeeping or escorting tasks, the commitment of Yancheng this time is more challenging and complicated because it will be protecting a vessel carrying fatal hypertoxic chemicals such as sarin gas and mustard gas," said Yi Guojun, a chemical weapons expert.

According to the OPCW's plan, Denmark and Norway will also provide vessels for the transportation of the chemicals, while other countries, including Finland and Russia, will help. The US will provide facilities and pay for the neutralization of priority chemicals onboard one of its own vessels at sea.

zhouwa@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/02/2014 page10)