Wang Min (1st L, Front Row), China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks after a vote at the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 16, 2012. China opposes armed intervention or forcing a so-called "regime change" in Syria, Wang said Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)
China opposes armed intervention or forcing a so-called "regime change" in Syria, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Wang Min said Thursday.
The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution supporting the political transition in Syria, which has been plagued by an 11-month-long political crisis, and calls for the appointment of a UN special envoy to the Middle East country.
The draft resolution, which was drawn up by Saudi Arabia and introduced to the General Assembly by Egypt, was adopted with a vote of 137-12 with 17 abstentions.
It is similar to the draft vetoed at the UN Security Council on Feb. 4 by Russia and China, two permanent members of the 15-nation Security Council. The vetoed draft asked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy.
"We condemn all acts of violence against innocent civilians and urge the government and all political factions of Syria to immediately and fully end all acts of violence, and quickly restore stability and the normal social order," Wang said in explanatory remarks after casting a negative vote on the draft resolution.
