China Sends Message on Syria Conflict

China's Ambassador in Tehran Pang Sen met with the special advisor to the Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ali Akbar Velayati, on Thursday to convey a message from Beijing's special envoy for Syria. "Tehran and Beijing share a common stance on many regional issues and now with the [self-styled] Islamic State forces withdrawing from Iraq and Syria, we are witnessing new field developments in these two countries," IRNA quoted Pang as telling reporters after the meeting. China has traditionally kept a low profile in Middle East conflicts or diplomacy, despite its reliance on the region for oil. But it has recently assigned an envoy on Syria, which signals China's intention to step up its involvement in the protracted conflict that has plagued the Arab country for about six years now. Velayati said Iran welcomes China's move and called for closer bilateral cooperation on the issue. "Today, the Chinese government has engaged in more serious cooperation on the region, particularly on Syria. Appointing a Syria envoy who recently traveled to Iran marks China's first important public step in this direction," he said. Velayati did not elaborate on the details of the message from China's Syria envoy.