BEIJING, Dec 13: China's foreign minister Wang Yi told his Egyptian counterpart on Friday that Beijing is "deeply concerned" about the situation in Syria, as the two top diplomats met in the Chinese capital.
Ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad fled the country after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group and its allies, bringing a sudden end to decades of repressive rule by his clan.
Beijing and Damascus built strong ties during Assad's reign and the former Syrian leader came to China last year on a rare visit outside the Middle East, meeting President Xi Jinping and establishing a "strategic partnership".
On Friday, Wang and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a joint press conference at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, wrapping up a two-day trip for "strategic dialogue".
"The two sides are deeply concerned about the current situation in Syria and call for respect for Syria's sovereignty," Wang told journalists, urging the prevention of "terrorist and extremist forces from taking advantage of the chaos".
The collapse of Assad's administration closes an era in which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and caps nearly 14 years of war that killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions.
"We agreed that we should promote peace and negotiations in order to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East," Wang said alongside Abdelatty. —AFP
