Fighting IS: China calls for respect for sovereignty

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying Thursday called for respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned as US President Barack Obama vowed to stage a sweeping airstrike campaign in both Iraq and Syria.

In response to a question about Obama's announcement to make "a steady, relentless effort" to root out the Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremist organisation in Iraq, Hua said international law should be respected in the international fight against terrorism, Xinhua reported.

"We hold that in the international struggle against terrorism, the international law should be respected, as well as the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned," Hua said.

The US president announced in a speech Wednesday night in Washington the US would lead an expanded global coalition to address the threat of terrorism. Obama authorised US airstrikes inside Syria for the first time and vowed to send 475 more US troops into Iraq.

The US military has so far conducted about 150 airstrikes on IS targets inside Iraq.

Hua said China firmly opposed any form of terrorism. She said the international community should jointly fight against terrorism and support the effort that the countries concerned made to maintain internal security and stability.

Hua said at present, the international fight against terrorism was in a grim and complex situation. Since the rise of international terrorism was yet to be stemmed, chronic disturbance in certain regions has provided opportunities for activities by international terrorist forces, Hua said.

She said these factors have brought about new threats to international security and stability and new challenges to the international fight against terrorism.

"We hope that under the joint efforts of the international community, the countries concerned would resume order and stability as soon as possible and realise reconciliation, peace and development," Hua said, adding that this would help eliminate the rise of terrorism in the places and realise sustainable peace and stability in the region.

Hua said China was ready to abide by the principles of mutual respect, equality and cooperation to strengthen anti-terrorist cooperation with the rest of the international community and maintain global peace and stability.