China unlikely to attend Syria meeting

China is unlikely to attend the second "Friends of Syria" meeting scheduled to convene in Istanbul in April, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

China received an invitation to the meeting, but due to the current situation, did not consider attending it, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news conference on Monday.

"We think actions taken by the international community with regard to Syria should help ease the situation there, promote political dialogue, resolve disputes and maintain peace and stability in the Middle East," Hong said.

The resolution of the Syrian issue requires the participation of, and dialogue between, the major parties involved, and the international community should create favorable conditions for that, he said.

China will continue to work with all sides and play an active and constructive role in finding a peaceful and proper resolution to the Syrian issue, the spokesman added.

The first "Friends of Syria" meeting was held in Tunisia on Feb 24. The Syrian authorities and some opposition parties were not invited. China was invited but did not attend.

The West-backed meetings aim to solidify the opposition parties and call for more support from the international community for the opposition parties by increasing pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said Li Guofu, director of Middle East studies at the China Institute of International Studies.

A Syrian boy cries in a Red Crescent refugee camp in Boynuyogun village, in Hatay region, Turkey, on Sunday. The Boynuyogun camp houses some 2,000 Syrian refugees in 600 tents. [Photo/Agencies]