China's special envoy to the Middle East, Sun Bigan, has called
for an immediate unconditional ceasefire to the conflict between
Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
"Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah should end hostilities
immediately to avoid further deterioration to the humanitarian
crisis in Lebanon," Sun told a press conference following a
closed-doors meeting with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara
Monday in Damascus.
The Chinese envoy, who arrived in Damascus on Sunday to begin a
regional tour, said he had cancelled a scheduled visit to Lebanon's
capital Beirut because the main bridges on the road linking
Damascus and Beirut had been destroyed by Israeli air strikes.
Sun expressed China's willingness to intensify consultation and
coordination with Arab nations in a bid to defuse tensions in the
region. He urged all concerned parties to set up a political
framework for a long-term solution to the conflict.
As for the draft UN Security Council resolution to end the
fighting presented by France and the US he said that any resolution
should fully take the concerned parties' opinions into
consideration.
The Chinese envoy also called for emergency aid for Lebanon to
ease the humanitarian crisis.
Sun will also travel to Israel, the Palestinian territories,
Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Israel launched a massive assault against Lebanese Hezbollah on
July 12 after two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and eight others
killed by the Shiite group in a cross-border attack.
(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2006)