'Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity should be respected': China urges Turkey to stop military operation

China on Tuesday called on Turkey to stop its military operation against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, saying that Ankara's actions may lead to the outbound escape of terrorists and the resurgence of the Islamic State, thereby exacerbating counter-terrorism efforts.

Responding to a question, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "China opposes the use of force in international relations. We believe all sides should observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as the basic norms governing international relations, and solve problems through political and diplomatic means under the framework of international law."

The Foreign Ministry said that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be earnestly respected and safeguarded.

"Considering the severe situation for counterterrorism in Syria at the moment, relevant military actions may lead to the outbound escape of terrorists and the resurgence of the Islamic State. We urge Turkey to take up its responsibilities and combat terrorism with the rest of the international community," he said.

It may be noted that Pakistan supports Turkey in its offensive against Kurdish forces, while New Delhi has expressed deep concern about the operation and called on Turkey to exercise restraint.

Turkey launched its military operation last week after the United States, an ally of Kurdish militia People's Protection Units (YPG), in the war against Islamic State militants, announced the withdrawal of its troops from the area.

The military action has displaced more than 2,75,000 people, the region's Kurdish-led authority was quoted as saying.