China’s military ship to help guard Syria chemical weapons destruction

China said it wanted a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, on Thursday, said the country would send a military ship to help protect a specially adapted U.S. vessel that would destroy Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal.

Ms. Chunying made the disclosure at a news briefing in Beijing.

He said “China has decided to send a military ship to participate in the protection mission for the shipping of Syrian chemical weapons and it is an important move to show China’s support.

“China hopes that the relevant work in removing Syria’s chemical weapons can be completed safely and smoothly.

“This will assist in pushing for a political resolution to the Syrian issue and assist in increasing regional peace and stability and accords with the interest of all sides.’’

China had repeatedly called for a political resolution of the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and a full and impartial investigation by UN chemical weapons inspectors and warned against pre-judging the results.

It said that anyone who used chemical weapons should be held accountable.

Chemical weapons were likely used in five of the seven attacks investigated by UN experts in Syria, where a two-and-a-half-year civil war killed more than 100,000 people.

The most serious use was on Aug. 21, when hundreds of people were killed in a sarin gas attack in the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.

The worst poison gas attack in a quarter of a century prompted the threat of missile strikes by the U.S. against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

(Reuters/NAN)