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Chinese envoy calls on int'l community to ease suffering of Syrian people

Xinhua, January 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Friday called on the international community to ease suffering of the Syrian people, stressing that "a political solution is the ultimate way" to solve all the relevant problems in Syria.

"The population in some besieged areas are facing a severe shortage of food and medicine and their living conditions are truly appalling," said Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, at a Security Council meeting on Syria.

China hopes that the International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria to be held early next month will achieve positive results and China calls upon the donors to show generosity to ease the suffering of the Syrian people, said Liu.

So far on nine occasions and through various channels, China has provided humanitarian assistance, totaling 685 million yuan (about 104.34 million U.S. dollars), to Syria and other countries in the region.

"At the G20 summit last year, President Xi Jinping announced an additional 100 million U.S. dollars humanitarian assistance to relevant countries and international organizations," he said.

"The international community should remain firm in its search for a political solution" to the problems in Syria, including its humanitarian crisis, he added.

The international support group has so far held three ministerial meetings. The Security Council last month unanimously adopted resolution 2254, the first ever on the political process of Syria.

The international community should keep alive the current momentum for a political solution and make sure that relevant process will deliver the positive results, said the envoy.

At the same time, it is necessary to make sure that the United Nations remains the main channel for mediation, he said.

China calls upon the relevant parties in Syria to seize upon the historical opportunity, swiftly restart negotiations and put forward the political process in Syria in a way that real results can be achieved, Liu added. Enditem