China supports the crisis in Syria being solved under the Arab League's framework and would like to participate in the consultation based on the UN draft resolution proposed by Russia amid a deep divide among the UN's veto-wielding permanent members.
"China praises Russia's constructive effort to solve the Syria crisis, and we would like to continue consultation based on Russia's draft," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Wednesday at a regular news briefing.
Russia circulated a revised UN Security Council resolution on Syria on Monday, after its mid-December draft resolution was welcomed by Western diplomats in a potentially positive sign. That draft called on all parties to stop the violence and cited the "disproportionate use of force by Syrian authorities". Since then, the US and its European allies have submitted a series of amendments to the draft.
But the draft resolution sent to the 15 council nations on Monday was criticized by Western diplomats, who said it did not appear to be a compromise.
The text of the draft was still a secret, but Western diplomats said it attributed violence equally to the Syrian government and opposition, a statement the West could not accept.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would reject any use of sanctions or the deployment of troops.
"For us, the red line is fairly clearly drawn. We will not support any sanctions," Lavrov told reporters on Wednesday.
"It seems now that Russia is more supportive of the current Syrian government," said Xing Guangcheng, a Russian studies researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, citing the fact that last week a Russian ship docked at a Russian-leased Syrian port.
"It was based Russia's judgment that the US would not strike two wars over Iran and Syria. The current tension between the West and Iran is good for (Syrian President Bashar al-Assad)," Xing said.
Both Russia and Syria rejected the proposal by Qatar to deploy Arab League peacekeepers to Syria. Qatar, an ally of the West, is also a member of the Arab League.
But Wang Lian, a Middle East studies professor with Peking University, said there has not been a formal motion on this issue, and there is division among Arab League states.
"Though the violence has not ended since Arab League observers entered Syria, the mission's work is effective," Liu Weimin said, addressing concerns from the West about the mission's role.
Syria is ready to accept a one-month extension of its mandate, which expires on Thursday, an Arab League source was quoted by Reuters as saying.