China envoy urges Syria to speed-up reforms

CAIRO: China's Middle East envoy called on the Syrian government on Sunday to speed up the reforms it has promised in response to popular demands, saying the situation was dangerous and the bloodshed could not continue.

Foreign pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government to end a bloody, seven-month crackdown on protesters demanding political reforms has so far had no apparent effect.

The United States blames China and Russia for failing to throw their weight behind its efforts to isolate Assad's government diplomatically and toughen economic sanctions.

Speaking in Cairo after a visit to Syria, Chinese envoy Wu Sike told reporters that Assad's government must take "palpable steps" to end the bloodshed.

"The Syrian government has to speed up implementing its promises of reform," said Wu. "There must be respect and response to the aspirations of the Syrian people."

He said he had met Syria's deputy president and foreign minister and members of the opposition movement while in the Syrian capital Damascus, and insisted that China was neutral in the conflict.

"I emphasised to top officials the danger of the situation in Syria and that the situation cannot continue," he said.

Wu was speaking at the Arab League headquarters in the Egyptian capital, where some 150 demonstrators had gathered to condemn what they saw as a timid response from the regional body to crackdowns on pro-democracy movements in Syria and Yemen.

The protesters held up banners reading: "Your silence is killing us, League".

Copyright Reuters, 2010