UNITED NATIONS - A Chinese envoy said on Wednesday that Syria's political process must be accelerated, while reiterating that unilateral sanctions against the war-scarred country must be lifted immediately.

"The political process must be accelerated. This is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in Syria. The parties concerned should actively and pragmatically participate in and advance the inclusive political dialogue within the framework of Constitutional Committee," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council's open videoconference on the political situation in Syria.

Noting that the future of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people themselves, Geng said that China will continue to stand with the Syrian people and play a positive and constructive role in the political settlement of the Syrian issue

"We hope to see the parties concerned strive for an early solution that fits Syria's national conditions and takes into account the legitimate concerns of both sides," said the ambassador.

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The UN should play its role as the main channel for mediation towards a "Syrian-led, Syrian-owned" political process while the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria be safeguarded, he added.

Speaking about the preparations for the third round meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee that the UN special envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen had earlier briefed the Council, Geng said that "we call on all parties to demonstrate political will and bridge differences through dialogue and consultation, so that the meeting could go smoothly and achieve positive results."

"China appreciates the active support from Russia and other countries to the UN-led process through their own efforts," he added.

Talking about the security situation in Syria, Geng said that it "should be substantially improved."

"There are still a large number of terrorists and extremists in the Idlib region, launching frequent attacks and harming civilians. All parties must stick to a unified standard and strengthen coordination in counter-terrorism actions," he noted.

The ambassador echoed Pedersen's proposal that "more effective, cooperative and targeted counter-terrorism actions must be in place to promote peace and stability in Syria and the region."

The UN should play its role as the main channel for mediation towards a "Syrian-led, Syrian-owned" political process while the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria be safeguarded, he added

Referring to the efforts of both Russia and Turkey, Geng said that the two countries conducted regular joint patrols along the M4 highway in recent months in accordance with relevant agreement, "which helped to maintain overall ceasefire in northwest Syria."

"With regard to the recent air strikes against the Syrian Government-controlled areas, the party concerned is called upon to exercise restraint and take no more such actions," he added.

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Reiterating China's consistent position on Syria, Geng said that "unilateral sanctions against Syria must be lifted immediately."

"Unilateral sanctions have seriously undermined the livelihoods of the Syrian people and caused great harm to innocent civilians, especially women and children. We urge relevant countries to heed the repeated appeals by the secretary-general and his special envoy," he said.

Instead of imposing new illegal sanctions, those countries should immediately lift existing unilateral sanctions against Syria and take concrete actions to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, the ambassador said.

"China attaches great importance to the humanitarian situation in Syria and sympathizes with the sufferings of the Syrian people," he said.

"We have provided, through bilateral and multilateral channels, a large amount of humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies to combat COVID-19, to people in Syria and refugees outside the country. China will continue to support and assist the Syrian people according to what they need," the envoy added.

On the economic situation, Geng said that "more efforts should be made to help Syria with economic reconstruction."

"This is the urgent need of the Syrian people, and the foundation for sustainable development and durable peace of Syria," he said.

"The international community should support the reconstruction efforts of the Syrian government and Syrian people, help them rebuild and recover as soon as possible in areas that have suitable conditions," the envoy added.

"China will undoubtedly make its contribution in this regard," Geng stressed.

Noting that the future of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people themselves, Geng said that China will continue to stand with the Syrian people and play a positive and constructive role in the political settlement of the Syrian issue.