China’s Zhai Urges End to Syria Violence After Damascus Talks With Assad
China’s vice foreign minister, Zhai Jun, urged Syria to end violence and restore stability after a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad.
Zhai, speaking at a press conference in Damascus today, backed Assad’s proposed referendum on a new democratic constitution, set for Feb. 26, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
China and Russia vetoed a resolution at the United Nations Security Council earlier this month calling on Assad to step down in favor of an interim government that would hold elections. The UN estimated more than 5,400 Syrians had died by the end of last year as Assad cracked down on protests that began in March.
Syrian security forces opened fire today in the Maza neighborhood of Damascus, where thousands had rallied for the funeral of civilians killed yesterday, and carried out arrests in the southern province of Daraa and the eastern town of Deir al-Zour, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least five people were killed today, following a toll of 31 yesterday, it said. Machine gun fire was heard in Aleppo, where the army is conducting sweeps.
The U.S., European Union and Arab League, which backed the resolution vetoed by China and Russia, will attend a “Friends of Syria” meeting in Tunisia next week aimed at coordinating support for the opposition to Assad.
To contact the reporters on this story: Massoud A. Derhally in Beirut, Lebanon at mderhally@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net
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