President al-Assad Sends Letter to Chinese Counterpart on the Situation in Syria

President Bashar al-Assad sent a letter to the Chinese President Hu Jintao on the developments in Syria and the region, delivered by the Presidential Political and Media Advisor, Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
Dr. Shaaban briefed minister Jiechi on the situation in Syria and the efforts exerted by the Syrian government to get out of the crisis through a political national dialogue, away from foreign interference, stressing Syria’s interest in cooperation with friendly countries and international organizations and its commitment to Annan’s six-point plan.

Dr. Shaaban thanked China for its balanced and principled stance in support of the Syrian sovereignty, stressing the importance that all countries follow the lead of Russia and China in their accurate approach of the way out of the crisis.

For his part, the Chinese minister expressed his country’s unswerving rejection of imposing solutions on the Syrian people and foreign interference.

Dr. Shaaban, interviewed by the China Daily, highly appreciated the stances of China and Russia on Syria which are “consistent with the United Nations Charter, international laws and ethical values, and are helpful to the peaceful resolution” to the crisis in Syria.

“We’re happy to see countries like China and Russia, who are not colonizers or deal with people as colonizers,” added Dr. Shaaban criticizing the stances adopted by the west on Syria.

The “most dangerous, rigid and harmful sanctions” issued by the West have affected the health sector and the lives of ordinary Syrian civilians, and the West is worsening the situation by “supporting with arms and money people who are inciting the civil war in Syria” underlined Dr. Shaaban.

Dr. Shaaban reiterated Syria’s commitment to dialogue and to the resigned Kofi Annan’s six-point plan which ‘should be translated into real action, not just talk.

Dr. Shaaban pointed out that the armed terrorist groups continued their attacks against the Syrians not to mention the rejection of opposition to dialogue, saying that these groups are financed by certain powers and are not allowed to talk to the government, which would ‘put not only Syria but the entire region in danger.’

What happened in Libya cannot be repeated in Syria, and China’s principles are helping to avoid civil war, which would cause more casualties, Dr. Shaaban underlined.

Dr. Shaaban added that ‘Opposition groups have the support of regional forces, and officials in those forces are putting their personal careers at stake,’ pointing out that she does not agree with using the word “opposition” to define people “who are carrying arms and emboldened by external powers to kidnap, kill and destroy public institutions”

Dr. shaaban asserted that ‘opposition groups in Syria have no backing among the Syrian people when being financed by different sources,’ pointing out that some members of the so-called opposition parties have joined the government and parliament over the past year.

Dr. shaaban described her visit to China as to give “the Chinese leadership a real picture of what’s going on in Syria” and coordinate with China to solve the current crisis that has taken thousands of people’s lives.