China expects Geneva II conference on Syria to be held as slated

China on Monday voiced the hope that the upcoming International Conference on Syria, or the Geneva II conference, will be held as slated.

"China hopes the meeting arrangement can be set as soon as possible, and supports relevant regions' and countries' participation in it," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing.

China expects the meeting to yield positive outcomes, Hua said, expressing the hope that the political process can be substantively carried out at an early date to ensure the Syrian people a peaceful and stable life.

The conference, scheduled to open in the Swiss city of Montreux on Jan. 22, will bring the Syrian government and the opposition to the negotiating table for the first time since the conflict started in March 2011.

Delegates of the UN, the five UN Security Council permanent members, the League of Arab States, the EU, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will be present at the conference. Delegates from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey -- the four main hosts to Syrian refugees -- will also be present. Representatives from Arab countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, as well as from Western countries, including Germany, Canada and Denmark, will also attend.

According to media reports, Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab League joint special representative to Syria, said last Friday that the United States had not agreed on the participation of Iran, the main regional ally of the Syrian government.