China says Arab League 'effective' in Syria

by **Happy Life** Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:49 am

Beijing on Wednesday defended the Arab
League's widely criticised observer mission in Syria, as the UN Security
Council struggled to agree on a resolution on Damascus' crackdown on
dissent.

China, a permanent veto-wielding member of the Security Council,
urged both sides to cooperate with the Arab League, saying the security
situation in Syria had improved since it began its mission there.
The Arab League mission has been criticised for failing to end violence in Syria where the United Nations says the regime's crackdown on protests has cost more than 5,400 lives since March.
"Since
the Arab League observer mission began, the violence in Syria has not
completely ended, but the security situation of major areas has
improved, which shows the mission is effective," said Chinese foreign
ministry spokesman Liu Weimin.
"The
Chinese side calls on all parties in Syria to fully cooperate with the
Arab league in its mediation efforts. The Chinese side supports the
settlement of the Syrian issue within the framework of the Arab league."
China made the comments as fellow Security Council member Russia said it would reject any use of sanctions or deployment of troops over the unrest in Syria.
China
and Russia last year vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning
the crackdown -- saying it would be used as an excuse to carry out
regime change -- in a move condemned by Western governments.
Days
later, Beijing urged Damascus to speed up the implementation of reforms,
veering away from its longstanding policy of non-interference in the
country's affairs.
UN diplomats said experts from the 15 members
of the Security Council held prolonged talks on Tuesday on a proposed
Russian resolution on Syria without getting closer to UN action on the
bloodshed.
Western nations say blame for the violence should not
be attributed equally to the Syrian government and opposition, as
demanded by Russia.
The United States, France and Germany said before the talks that the current Russian text was unacceptable.

Source:

AFP Asian Edition

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