Tehran and Beijing signed a 25-year strategic partnership pact on Saturday after over five years of negotiations. The 20-point roadmap promises an expansion of ties in areas including security, defence, regional and international cooperation. US and Israeli observers and media have expressed concerns over the pact's implications.
China has joined Iran in expressing support for Damascus' efforts to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence, stressing the need to eradicate terrorism and end foreign occupation as elements necessary to resolve the humanitarian crisis facing the Arab Republic.
“We must take full advantage of the leading role of the Syrian government in order to fundamentally improve the humanitarian situation on the ground. With regard to the severe epidemic and food security issues, targeted humanitarian relief must be provided with a focus on the needs of women, children, and other vulnerable groups”, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at a Security Council meeting on Syria on Monday.
At the meeting, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, Zhang warned that terrorist groups continue to “threaten the security and stability of the country and even the whole region”, making it vital for the international community to “remain vigilant, strengthen cooperation, and firmly fight terrorism in accordance with international law and Security Council resolutions”.
The diplomat emphasised…
