Third, if the US, in cooperation with its allies, launches a full-scale military attack and topples the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, it will face difficult options afterwards, because there are an unknown number of extremists among the Syrian opposition; the US will not be willing to shoulder such a heavy burden. Even worse, a war will open a "Pandora's box" in the region and the consequences will be unpredictable. As far as US internal affairs are concerned, President Barack Obama has to cooperate closely with Congress on a series of issues, including the debt limit, the fiscal budget for 2014 and the appointment of a new Federal Reserve chairman. Are Americans ready or willing to bear heavier debts for military intervention in Syria?

The role of the UN should not be ignored in solving the Syrian issue. As the most universal, representative and authoritative inter-governmental institution, the UN should play an important role in the Syrian issue. At present, UN members have differences on the Syrian issue, and this means it has become more urgent to consult and to seek common ground by shelving differences; more urgent to abide by the UN Charter and the code of conduct for international relations; and not advisable to attempt to tackle this issue by bypassing the UN. Otherwise, all parties in the Syrian crisis will go further astray from the road of a political solution.

China is highly concerned about the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, and has clearly expressed its stance of opposing the use of chemical weapons by any party in Syria and supporting the UN Secretariat in carrying out an independent, objective, impartial and professional investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in accordance with relevant UN resolutions. At the same time, China has also warned that military action could have serious and destructive consequences. A political solution is the only practical way to resolve the crisis in Syria. The most urgent task now is to hold, as early as possible, the second Geneva Conference on Syria. Therefore, all parties should exercise caution in dealing with the chemical weapons issue in Syria, so as to avoid any disturbance to the political process. The international community should consolidate their consensus and common ground, and join hands in promoting a political solution.

The crisis in Syria is extremely complicated, and it is also complicated by various regional conflicts and disputes. Although it is not easy to seek a political solution concerted efforts should be made to achieve such a solution. And the political process to lead Syria to peace will continue. If all big powers have the courage to shelve or put an end to their differences and join hands to engage in effective intervention within the framework of the UN, it will not only help end the sufferings of the Syrian people and prevent long-term turmoil in the region, it would also help find a new way to prevent similar conflicts in the future, and enlarge the room for cooperation among the big powers in this new era.

The author is a Chinese special envoy to the Middle East.www.chinausfocus.com

(China Daily 09/09/2013 page8)