China calls on Syrian government, opposition to start dialogue

In a statement released on Sunday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged the Syrian leadership and opposition to “launch an inclusive political dialogue with no preconditions” under the mediation of the joint UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March last year. Hundreds of people, including security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.

While the West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of the killings, Damascus blames ''outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups'' for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

In interviews with Israeli news outlets over the past few months, the Syrian armed rebels have clearly expressed their vision for the future of Syria and their interest in establishing relations with the Tel Aviv regime.

However, Syrian people have repeatedly expressed solidarity with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s government.