• Sat
  • Jul 12, 2014
  • Updated: 4:10pm

China refuses to blame Assad for Syria gas attack

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 17 September, 2013, 6:27pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 17 September, 2013, 6:45pm

China on Tuesday refused to say whether a United Nations report into a sarin gas attack in Syria showed that government forces had used the banned weapons.

The United Nations on Monday revealed details of the attack, which the United States, Britain and France said showed that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces had carried it out. Russia said that further investigation was needed.

The relevant investigation should be carried out by the UN investigation team on an impartial, professional and independent basis
Hong Lei, Foreign ministry spokesman

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular briefing that Beijing would have a “serious look” at the report, but did not say whether China thought that government forces were responsible when asked.

“The relevant investigation should be carried out by the UN investigation team on an impartial, professional and independent basis,” he said.

China has repeatedly said that it opposed armed intervention by foreign powers in Syria.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria as a ”war crime” after UN experts said they had gathered evidence that surface-to-surface rockets took sarin gas into the opposition-held Damascus suburb of Ghouta on August 21.

Ban would not say who had carried out the attack.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said the use of a 122mm rocket and high quality sarin showed the responsibility lay with regime forces.

But Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said after a Security Council meeting on the report that there should be more investigation.

Moscow has in the past sided with Assad in blaming opposition rebels for the use of chemical weapons.

More than 110,000 people have been killed by the 30-month-old conflict in Syria according to activists, while the UN has said more than two million have become refugees.



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This article is now closed to comments

take a big picture view! what if china said Assad regime used sarin gas against the rebel groups? how would this statement RESOLVE the situation? regime change per US ala Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan? also, check the source, Agence FRANCE Presse, the same France that made a mess in Libya, in Vietnam, in Algera.
China probably sold the gas to Assad
China neither owns nor produces any chemical weapons. Check your facts. Syria got their chemicals from Russia, and, in fact, some from the UK.
What is the problem here? The UN report does not say who carried out the attacks. China and Russia are just trying to remain objective until actual evidence has been revealed, whereas the US and UK are so eager to point fingers at Assad because that's the way they've wanted it all along. They actually wanted to bomb him before this report even came out, remember? Why do these articles always try to make it appear that you're on the wrong side of justice if you don't side with the American warmongers?
to answer your question why they want to bomb.
i got a buddy working at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant, making fighter jet. his paycheck actually increased multi fold during and after the '08 recession. he said his production line has orders good for the next 7 yrs. he has so many OT that he hasn't taken a vacation for 2 yrs! he is earning US$130,000 a year, not bad for a worker with only high school diploma and living in low cost Texas. now, you know....
The US, UK and France are sick a-holes not fit to be in the UN Security Council.
Ms Powers,
The US and its allies could have supplied that said rocket to the rebels too.....
Why would Assad launch a chemical attack now that govt forces are winning?
China is a sick a-hole not fit to be in the UN Security council.
well, too bad. Pi$$-ants like yourself don't get to decide who's on the Security Council. Now it's time your nap, kiddo.


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