China defends UN veto on Syria resolution

China insisted it was forced into a veto on a UN resolution against Syria over the weekend, saying disagreements had not been resolved, The Wall Street Journal reported. The decision is a stark contrast to Beijing’s decision last march to abstain from a vote against Libya, in effect allowing the removal of Moammar Gadhafi. “China does not have selfish desires in the Syria issue,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin on Monday. “As a responsible large country, China will join together with the international community to continue playing an active and constructive role on the Syria issue.” By vetoing the resolution which called for the resignation of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Beijing may be signaling concern about protests at home. A commentary in Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily reiterated Beijing’s position on regime change, saying “The United Nations can stop aggression, but it cannot force a country to replace its regime.”