Veto boosts Syria peace initiatives, experts say

UN resolution looking for regime change 'will only escalate crisis'

BEIJING / United Nations - The veto by China and Russia of a draft UN resolution to promote regime change in Syria will win more time for a political solution to the crisis, experts said.

But the diplomatic divide on the Syrian issue will remain and possibly worsen, they said.

Taleb Ibrahim, a Syrian political analyst, said in Damascus that the veto on Saturday by China and Russia would usher in a new balance of global power. "The UN will no longer be a tool in the hands of the US and its allies to pass their military schemes."

The veto will help restore peace and stability in the country and will also save Syrian lives, Ibrahim said.

The draft resolution was in accordance with an Arab League plan that demanded a government change in Syria. The resolution, tabled by Morocco and backed by the US and some European powers, received 13 votes from the 15 UN Security Council members.

It was the second time since October that China and Russia joined hands to block a UN resolution on Syria.

China's veto follows the principle of non-interference in internal affairs as stated in the UN Charter, said Dong Manyuan, vice-president at the China Institute of International Studies. The UN does not have the right to request a regime change or military intervention in a sovereign state, he said.

The Chinese move was an attempt to seek a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis and prevent it from escalating, Dong said.

China's ambassador to the UN, Li Baodong, said that while the international community should provide constructive assistance to help achieve peace in Syria, "the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria should be fully respected".