TEHRAN – China's special envoy on Middle East affairs has said that before taking any military actions against Syria, the United States would need an authorization from the United Nations.

“We oppose the application of physical force. If the U.S. plans on military moves in Syria, it should first seek permission from the UN Security Council, else their moves will violate the UN charter,” Gong Xiaosheng told the Tehran Times during a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

“China’s position is that only dialogue would work to solve this crisis. There is no future for military approaches,” he stressed.

“In the 21th century, it is the country’s own people who should decide on their fate, not other countries,” he said, adding that the Chinese government is in constant contact with the Syrian government and opposition groups to help settle their differences.

To a second question by the Tehran Times about the recent elections in Lebanon, Xiaosheng said his respective government respects the decision that the Lebanese citizens make, adding that the people of Lebanon have a right to decide on their future.

Some deal better than no deal

Mr. Xiaosheng also attended to the issue of the Iran nuclear deal. 

“We think some deal is better than no deal,” he said, stressing that the Chinese government preferred that the deal was kept.

“The JCPOA is a multilateral deal, wrought through talks and backed by a UN resolution…. It is pivotal not only to nonproliferation but also to the promotion of peace in the Middle East.”

He added that China is ready to work with other world powers to save the deal, noting, however, that in case the deal fell apart, it would wait for the global community’s response and follow suit accordingly.

In the meantime, he put in, China will honor the bilateral agreements that it has made with Iran in various fields.

SP/PA