The international community should work together to prevent the escalation and spread of the tensions in the Middle East, which could undermine Syria's security and stability, a Chinese envoy said on Wednesday.
Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the statement at a UN Security Council meeting on political and humanitarian issues in Syria.
"Tensions in the Middle East persist, and their spillover effects continue to spread, introducing new complexities to the already fragile situation in Syria. At present, the situation is at a critical juncture between war and peace. China calls on all parties concerned to seize this window of opportunity for peace, exercise maximum restraint, demonstrate the utmost sincerity, and continue to resolve disputes through political and diplomatic channels so as to achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire. The international community should work together to prevent the escalation and spread of conflict in the Middle East, which could undermine Syria's security and stability," he said.
Fu said China calls on the Syrian transitional government to fulfill its international obligations and take all effective measures to resolutely combat all international terrorist organizations listed by the UN Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
China respects Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, and Israel should withdraw from the Syrian territory as soon as possible, Fu said.
China calls for concerted int'l efforts to shield Syria from regional conflict
