The Syrian conflict has been going on for seven years, which has led to large numbers of casualties among innocent civilians. China would like to empathize with the profound suffering of the Syrian people. The present situation must not last any longer. Swift action must be taken. We must resort to dialogue and consultations in order to assure an appropriate solution. We must help the Syrian people lift themselves out of suffering at an early date, help Syria rebuild itself and ensure that Syrians can lead peaceful and stable lives.

China has always advocated for dialogue and consultations as the best means to resolve international conflicts. All parties need to make efforts to prevent the situation in Syria from further deteriorating. A political solution is the only way out of the situation. A military solution will not work. It would only exacerbate the suffering of the Syrian people, further complicating the situation in the region and making it more turbulent, which is not in the common interests of Syria, countries of the region or the international community.

China calls upon all relevant parties to firmly persist in diplomatic efforts, insist on a political solution to the situation in Syria through dialogue and consultations and support the role of the United Nations as the main channel of mediation, and the efforts of Special Envoy De Mistura, and achieving progress in the Intra-Syrian talks. We should therefore safeguard all efforts to maintain the hard-won momentum for a political solution to the Syrian question.

Recent days, the situation of counter-terrorism has shown new complex trends and brought about complications in certain areas of Syria. The international community must remain highly alert regarding such relevant developments. We must stick to uniform criteria in fighting against all terrorist organizations listed by the Security Council.