Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that the fight against terrorism, dialogue, and reconstruction are the three pillars for getting out of the crisis in Syria.

Yi’s remarks came during a meeting with Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban who is currently visiting China.

The Chinese Minister opened the meeting by thanking President Bashar al-Assad for the congratulatory cable he sent on the success of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the re-election of President Xi Jinping as Party Secretary-General.

He said that President al-Assad exerted all efforts to lead the Syrian people in very complex international and internal conditions and enable the preservation of the dignity of Syria.

In turn, Shaaban expressed the Syrian leadership’s interest in the vision put forward by the Chinese President, saying that this vision can rid humanity of wars and conflicts and build a secure future in which people feel that they are in one world and that they are equal in human dignity.

She also referred to Syria’s support for the One Belt One Road Initiative which is not just an economic project, but a cultural, human, and intellectual project that serves all humankind.

For his part, Wang Yi welcomed the participation of Syria and its support for the initiative, as Syria was an important stop on the Silk Road, pointing out to the historical friendship relations between the two countries and the fact that Syria will be an important partner in this initiative in order to achieve national development and social renaissance.

Speaking about the situation in Syria, the Minister affirmed his country’s appreciation of the tireless efforts exerted by the Syrian leadership to reach a political solution to the crisis in Syria. He also urged the international community to put aside differences, strengthen cooperation, and continue uniting efforts to combat terrorism and extremist terrorist groups, expressing his country’s readiness as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to actively participate in the process of political solution in Syria.

He also thanked the Syrian side for helping to combat the terrorists of the East Turkestan Liberation Front (LTTE), designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, and stressed his country’s aspiration to cooperate with Syria in this regard.

Shaaban pointed out that the Syrian political battle is no less important than the military one, asserting that the Syrian leadership has always been quick to make any effort that contributes to spare the bloodshed and put an end to the war in Syria, stressing that this war is part of the policy pursued by US and Britain to deplete the energies of the people and to solve crises by wars and supporting terrorism.

Shaaban: Syria will continue fighting terrorism in parallel with actively participating in political process

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency published on Friday, Shaaban affirmed that Syria will continue its war against terrorism, and will actively participate in the political process to find a political solution to the crisis, as it will not accept anything that threatens to divide the country.

The Advisor welcomed the constructive role that Russia has been playing since the beginning of the crisis in Syria and its attempts to reach a political solution to the crisis, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a partner and ally in the victory over terrorism, so it is also natural for him to be a partner in efforts for a political solution.

Regarding the Syrian-Russian summit in Sochi recently, she said that it was a summit with a friend, ally, and partner, in which the two sides discussed and exchanged ideas and opinions, keeping in mind the interests of the Syrian people and the integrity of Syria, adding “we are satisfied that all the efforts made by Russia are in the interest of the Syrian people.”

Shaaban pointed out that the Astana and Geneva processes are different paths and each has a different task, explaining that the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura tried in Geneva to bring together the Syrian parties to talk about a political solution, but the problem with Geneva is that the other parties which they called “opposition” were subordinate to more than one country, so they were unable to unite and offer any real contribution to resolving the crisis.

“The Syrian government has had the real intrepidity and will since the beginning of the Geneva process to reach an end to this war on the Syrian people and to reach a political solution. It is determined to continue to participate in the Geneva talks as long as they stipulate adherence to the basic principles of the unity of the Syrian soil and the interest of the Syrian people,” she stressed.

On the challenges facing the Syrian government in the coming stage, Shaaban said that there are many challenges, and the first is the continued presence of terrorist hotbeds in some areas which must be defeated, while the second is the need to continue efforts to reach a political solution, noting that the Geneva meeting will be held later this month and the Syrian National Dialogue Congress will be held later in Sochi.

The third challenge, she went on to say, is the need for the friendly countries’ help in the reconstruction and the return of the displaced after this war, which lasted about seven years and destroyed many buildings and facilities and caused the displacement of many people.

The Advisor asserted that the Syrian people will thwart any divisional or separatist scheme in the country, stressing that the presence of any foreign forces on Syrian territory without the consent of the Syrian government is an illegal presence and aggression.

Commenting on the resignation of a number of “Riyadh opposition” members, Shaaban said that they are tools in the hands of regional and Western powers as they have left Syria for money and personal interests, adding that the Syrian people do not trust them.

She pointed out that the Israeli occupation is the root of all problems in the region, saying that at this historical stage, Israel believes itself capable of winning, but in the medium and long term it will not succeed.