BEIJING – China’s Foreign Ministry on December 9 urged all parties to pursue a political solution to the crisis in Syria to restore stability, following the weekend capture of the Syrian capital by rebel forces and the flight of President Bashar al-Assad to Russia.
Speaking at a regular news conference, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, “The future and destiny of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people, and we hope that all relevant parties will find a political solution to restore stability and order as soon as possible.”
The announcement comes after Syrian rebels, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia, declared on December 8 that they had ousted Assad, ending a 50-year family rule. HTS, designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, the United States, and Turkey, spearheaded the offensive that has reshaped the region’s political landscape and raised concerns of further instability in the Middle East.