Beijing reiterates call for political answer in Syria

China again called for a political solution to Syrian issues on Friday as the United Nations prepares for a new international meeting on Syria.

"China has always maintained that a political solution is the only realistic solution to resolving Syrian issues," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing.

Hua's comments came as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is intensifying efforts to convene the Geneva II conference for Syria in mid-November.

The planned conference is meant to build on the efforts of a previous one, held in late June 2012 in Geneva, which called for an immediate ceasefire between Syrian fighting parties and the launch of an inter-Syrian dialogue for a transitional government, according to UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.

Lauding the work to check and dispose chemical weapons in Syria, Hua called for the international community to step up efforts to seek a political solution as well as support the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' continued efforts.

China would like to work with all parties to convene the Geneva conference at an early date, she said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia rejected on Friday its newly acquired seat on the UN Security Council, saying the 15-member body is incapable of resolving world conflicts such as the Syrian civil war.

The move came just hours after the kingdom was elected as one of the council's 10 nonpermanent members on Thursday night. It also followed another gesture of displeasure from the kingdom in which Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal declined to address the General Assembly meeting last month.

The Saudi discontent stems from its frustration with the US, its longtime ally. The two are at odds over a number of Middle East issues, including how Washington has handled some of the region's crises, particularly in Egypt and Syria.

Xinhua-AP

(China Daily 10/19/2013 page8)