China calls on Syrian interim authorities to prevent terrorists from getting chemical weapons

UNITED NATIONS -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the interim authorities in Syria to prevent dangerous chemicals and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists.

Syria is currently facing a fragile security landscape and a grave counter-terrorism situation. There are increasing risks that terrorist organizations and extremist forces will take advantage of the current chaos to grow and stage a comeback, warned Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"The international community should remain highly vigilant about the possible scenario where terrorist forces in Syria may manufacture, acquire, or use chemical weapons," Geng told the Security Council.

China is concerned about reports that foreign terrorist fighters based in Syria have recently been integrated into the Syrian national army and urges the Syrian interim authorities to fulfill their counter-terrorism obligations, he said.

The Syrian interim authorities must take all necessary measures to combat all terrorist organizations and individuals listed by the Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and prevent dangerous chemicals and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists, he said.

The political transition in Syria is at a critical juncture. China sincerely hopes that peace and stability will return to Syria at an early date, said Geng.

For that, China calls on all relevant parties in Syria to fully engage and consult with each other, build maximum consensus, and push forward in an orderly manner a broad and inclusive political transition, he said.

At the same time, he added, it is important, with the help of the international community, to alleviate the humanitarian situation and begin economic reconstruction. China supports the United Nations in playing an important role in this process.