China and Britain have agreed to issue a joint statement regarding the situation in Syria, according to a report by China Daily. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond announced the agreement on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
The joint statement between the two nations is to encourage a solution to address the situation in Syria and to "support Syrian people to decide on their own future."
According to Hammond, China and Britain are fully committed in looking for a political solution in Syria "to end the bloody civil war in Syria and to allow a better future for the people in Syria." The two countries are members of the International Syria Support Group.
Researcher Li Guofu from the Middle East at the China Institute of International Studies said that the joint statement shows international unity in addressing the Syrian issue.
"It's not only China's stance, but China has also gained support from an important European country. This shows that China and Europe have a lot of consensus on this issue," said Li in an interview with China Daily.
Through Hammond, Britain expressed hopes of further bilateral ties with China, specifically in working on multilateral concerns "around the global security agenda, where we have shared interests in the global battle against Daesh (Islamic State) and more broadly against terrorism."
During the meeting last Tuesday, Wang reiterated the importance of seeking peace in Syria through talks and political solutions that are in line with the important and long-term interests of the Syrian people.
Prior to the announcement of the joint agreement, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces sent a delegation to China as a result of an announcement made by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Dec. 24. According to the foreign minister, the Syrian government is open to negotiation if the opposition parties in Syria come up with a list for a negotiation delegation.
During the visit, China encouraged the opposition forces to negotiate with the Syrian government and form the delegation.