China to participate in meeting on Syria

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government says Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will be in Geneva on Saturday for an international meeting on ending the Syrian conflict.

A Foreign Ministry statement issued Friday says Yang will state China’s stand on Syria, express support for efforts by international envoy Kofi Annan and push for implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and Annan’s peace plan.

All five permanent members of the UN Security Council are expected to attend the meeting, though few observers believe there will be a breakthrough. Russia and China have pledged to veto any international attempt to intervene in Syria.

But US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has said that all Geneva participants are on board with Annan’s transition plan, a statement that was later refuted by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.