Jordan And China Discuss Syrian Crisis And Are Looking For Diplomatic Solution

Jordan’s King Abdullah spoke with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, on the Syrian crisis on Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

At the meeting with Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the king said that China was “a team member of the United Nations Security Council and a friend of Jordan and the Middle East,” despite Beijing’s and Russia's unhelpful deliberations over the Syrian regime's clear use of chemical weapons.

Both China and Russia have vetoed three Western-backed U.N. resolutions that would have increased pressure on Bashar Assad.

Jordan has a huge stake in ending the crisis in Syria as the Hashemite Kingdom is having trouble taking care of the more than half a million Syrian refugees who've gone there since the crisis started in 2011.

Xi said China appreciated the king’s efforts and commitment “to regional peace, stability and development ... I’m ready to have an in-depth exchange of views with you on our bilateral relations, as well as other regional and international issues of mutual interest,” he said.