China welcomes 'peaceful solution' in Syria

China has welcomed the Russia-US agreement on securing and destroying Syria’s chemical weapons, saying it was a peaceful solution to the stockpile issue.

“We believe the framework agreement will ease the current tense situation that may be triggered at any moment in Syria and creates new prospects for resolving the chemical weapon issue in Syria through peaceful means,” said foreign minister Wang Yi.

He spoke at the beginning of a meeting with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius, who was visiting Beijing in a continuing diplomatic drive to end the two-and-a-half-year civil war.

France firmly backs the Syrian rebels and has strategic and historic interests in the region. It urged military action after the chemical attack on August 21 that it and the US blames on Bashar Assad’s government.

In contrast, China and Russia have consistently blocked resolutions at the United Nations Security Council aimed at sanctioning Assad’s regime.

Before his arrival in Beijing, Mr Fabius said the deal on destroying Syria’s chemical weapons was “a significant step forward”.