China not responsible for Syrian conflict deterioration

The Chinese government said Friday it is not responsible for deterioration in the Syrian conflict or the conflict's casualties, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. "We cannot accept that some countries have expressed views that are targeted at China," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a news conference in Beijing. Hong made remarks in response to a question regarding comments made by UK and Turkish leaders insinuating that China should shoulder some responsibility for the deterioration of the conflict. "China has been promoting a political solution to the Syrian conflict, aiming to end the violence at an early date and avoid civilian casualties," Hong was quoted as saying. Facilitating a political dialogue between relevant parties and a transitional process dominated by the Syrian people is the ultimate solution to the conflict and the suffering of the Syrian people, the spokesman said. According to Turkey's TV, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyin Erdogan on Thursday hit out at China, Russia and Iran over their Syria policy, saying their support of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad was allowing Al-Assad's massacre of his own people to continue. British Prime Minister David Cameron also suggested earlier this week China and Russia have the blood of Syrian children on their hands, the London-based media said. China and Russia, both veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council, have so far blocked three resolutions intended to pressure the al-Assad regime to leave power.