China’s Wang Ye: Fighting Terrorism, Dialogue, Reconstruction Key to Solving Crisis in Syria

BEIJING, (ST)- Dr, Bouthaina Shaaban, the Presidential Political and Media Advisor on Friday met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi within the framework of her visit to the People’s Republic of China at the invitation of Mr. Wang Yi.

The Chinese minister thanked President Bashar Al-Assad for the cable he sent to congratulate China on reelecting President Xi Jinping as Secretary General of the Chinese Communist Party.

President Al-Assad Managed to preserve Syria’s dignity

Wang Yi said that President Al-Assad has led the Syrian people under critical international and internal circumstances and managed to preserve the dignity of the country.

 According to the Chinese top diplomat fighting terrorism, dialogue and reconstruction should be the focal points currently for resolving the Syrian issue.

 “Counter-terrorism is the foundation, dialogue is the way out and reconstruction is the guarantee,” Wang Ye said, Xinhua reported.

He said that the recent intensive interaction among related parties on the future political arrangements in Syria will contribute to the positive outcome of the UN-sponsored Syrian political talks in Geneva.

Talks must maintain Syria’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity

Noting dialogue and negotiation are the only solution, Wang said that during the talks, “Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be maintained, and the Syrian people’s core position in the political settlement process must be protected.”

He expressed his country’s appreciation for the Syrian leadership’s efforts to attain a political solution to the crisis.

As a permanent member of the UN security council, China will participate in and support the Syrian political settlement process in accordance with security council resolutions.

Wang said that the international community has made important achievements in counter-terrorism cooperation, but the situation in Syria is still serious.

“The international community should put aside differences and continue to work together to fight against terrorist extremist groups and prevent them from spreading,” he said.

“Only by steadily advancing reconstruction can we give hope to the people and guarantee the long-term stability of Syria. The international community should pay attention to and actively support the reconstruction of Syria,” Wang said.

Political battle is not less important than the military one

On her part, Shaaban said that Syria’s political battle is not less important than its military battle against terrorism, stressing that the Syrian leadership has spared no effort as to stop bloodshed and put an end to the terrorist war on Syria. She reiterated that this war has been part of the US and British policy that aimed to exhaust people’s potentials and resources, ignite wars and support terrorism.  

Shaaban hailed the Chinese stance and welcomed a bigger Chinese role in the settlement process, affirming Syria’s keenness on holding national dialogue to find political solution.

Shaaban: Syria will continue fighting terrorism in parallel with actively participating in political process

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency published on Friday, Shaaban affirmed that Syria will continue its war against terrorism, and will actively participate in the political process to find a political solution to the crisis, as it will not accept anything that threatens to divide the country.

The Advisor welcomed the constructive role that Russia has been playing since the beginning of the crisis in Syria and its attempts to reach a political solution to the crisis, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a partner and ally in the victory over terrorism, so it is also natural for him to be a partner in efforts for a political solution.

Regarding the Syrian-Russian summit in Sochi recently, she said that it was a summit with a friend, ally, and partner, in which the two sides discussed and exchanged ideas and opinions, keeping in mind the interests of the Syrian people and the integrity of Syria, adding “we are satisfied that all the efforts made by Russia are in the interest of the Syrian people.”

Shaaban pointed out that the Astana and Geneva processes are different paths and each has a different task, explaining that the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura tried in Geneva to bring together the Syrian parties to talk about a political solution, but the problem with Geneva is that the other parties which they called “opposition” were subordinate to more than one country, so they were unable to unite and offer any real contribution to resolving the crisis.

“The Syrian government has had the real intrepidity and will since the beginning of the Geneva process to reach an end to this war on the Syrian people and to reach a political solution. It is determined to continue to participate in the Geneva talks as long as they stipulate adherence to the basic principles of the unity of the Syrian soil and the interest of the Syrian people,” she stressed.

On the challenges facing the Syrian government in the coming stage, Shaaban said that there are many challenges, and the first is the continued presence of terrorist hotbeds in some areas which must be defeated, while the second is the need to continue efforts to reach a political solution, noting that the Geneva meeting will be held later this month and the Syrian National Dialogue Congress will be held later in Sochi.

The third challenge, she went on to say, is the need for the friendly countries’ help in the reconstruction and the return of the displaced after this war, which lasted about seven years and destroyed many buildings and facilities and caused the displacement of many people.

The Advisor asserted that the Syrian people will thwart any divisional or separatist scheme in the country, stressing that the presence of any foreign forces on Syrian territory without the consent of the Syrian government is an illegal presence and aggression.

Commenting on the resignation of a number of “Riyadh opposition” members, Shaaban said that they are tools in the hands of regional and Western powers as they have left Syria for money and personal interests, adding that the Syrian people do not trust them.

She pointed out that the Israeli occupation is the root of all problems in the region, saying that at this historical stage, Israel believes itself capable of winning, but in the medium and long term it will not succeed.

Hamda Mustafa