BEIJING - China will send personnel to join the United Nations' (UN) observers mission and itsadvance team in Syria, it was confirmed on Friday.
"China is discussing the details with the UN Secretariat," Foreign Ministry spokesman LiuWeimin told a regular press conference.
A seven-strong advance team of UN observers arrived in Damascus on Sunday night tomonitor the implementation of the cease-fire brokered by UN-Arab League Joint Special EnvoyKofi Annan.
Their arrival came a day after the UN Security Council unanimously approved the observersmission. The team will be followed by other groups of observers and the total number ofmonitors may eventually reach 250.
Liu said China supports any efforts to help realize a sustained cessation of violence and initiatepolitical dialogue among parties in Syria.
China will continue to play a constructive role in seeking a fair, peaceful and proper resolutionfor the Syrian issue, he added.
The UN and the Syrian government on Thursday signed an agreement on the rules governingthe mission to monitor an internationally backed cease-fire, according to Ahmad Fawzi, Annan'sspokesman.
Fawzi said that the Office of the Joint Special Envoy is also having similar discussions withrepresentatives of the opposition on the tasks and responsibilities of the armed oppositiongroups.
Liu reiterated that China supports Annan's mediation efforts, noting that China is glad to seethe progress made concerning the deployment of the UN observers mission.
He called on all parties concerned in Syria to actively cooperate with Annan's work, urging themto swiftly end violence and open political talks, so as to restore domestic stability as soon aspossible.
China has actively participated in UN Security Council consultations and supported an earlydeployment of the observers mission, according to Liu.
The spokesman said he hoped the UN Security Council will soon reach consensus on thedetails of the mission and give tangible support to Annan's mediation work, in order to jointlypush forward a fair, peaceful and proper resolution to the Syrian crisis.
