China rejects sanctions to solve Syria crisis

China's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it does not approve of excessive reliance on pressure or sanctions to address the crisis in Syria and reiterated its support for UN envoy Kofi Annan's mediation efforts.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin made the comments at a regular briefing.

France will propose giving the United Nations the power to enforce Annan's Syrian peace plan, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Wednesday, adding that a no-fly zone was an option under consideration to stem what it characterized as a civil war.

Liu did not reject the French proposal outright but signaled misgivings.

Russia and China - permanent members of the UN Security Council with the power to veto resolutions - have stymied efforts by Western powers to call for the removal of Assad, whose forces, the UN says, have killed at least 10,000 people in more than a year of unrest.

China has repeatedly called for all sides in Syria to end violence and observe a peace plan put forward by Annan, and has opposed any foreign intervention in the country or efforts at forced regime change.

(Reuters)