China calls on US to lift sanctions on Syria

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Wednesday called on the United States to immediately lift its unilateral sanctions on Syria and "open the door to humanitarian aid".

Syria and neighboring Turkiye were jolted by two powerful earthquakes and multiple aftershocks on Monday, which have so far left more than 11,000 dead.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, a Washington-based civil rights organization, called on Monday for the immediate lifting of US sanctions on Syria, saying that these sanctions "severely restrict aid assistance to millions of Syrians".

US Department of State spokesman Ned Price, however, suggested on the same day that the US, which is providing "humanitarian assistance to partners on the ground", will not reach out to the Syrian government.

The earthquakes have left Syria, which has suffered war and turmoil for years, in a serious humanitarian crisis, Mao said on Wednesday, adding that the US is worsening the crisis.

Through its long-term involvement in the Syrian crisis, including frequent military interventions and harsh economic sanctions, the US has caused a large number of civilian casualties in a country where the people find it hard to access basic sustenance, she said.

The US military is still occupying Syria's main oil-producing area, has plundered more than 80 percent of the Middle Eastern country's oil output and smuggled or destroyed its food resources, according to Mao. She urged the US to give up its "geopolitical obsession" and help with disaster relief efforts in Syria.

The United Nations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have called for emergency aid to disaster-stricken people in Syria following the earthquakes.