China wants sanctions relief for Syria

China said Tuesday it wants the U.N. Security Council to not only extend humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria from neighboring countries but to tackle the impact of Western sanctions and the need to expand deliveries across conflict lines.

His comments came as the 15 council nations have just four days left before the mandate for cross-border aid expires. Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun told reporters after closed briefings to the council and a discussion among members on a draft resolution to continue cross-border deliveries that he hopes "with more diplomatic efforts we can find a solution" -- not just on cross-border aid.

"For China, definitely we want to see a solution concerning unilateral sanctions, concerning cross-lines, concerning the transparency of the cross-border. Not just talking about cross-border but about the general situation in Syria," Zhang said.

In early July 2020, China and Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have maintained two border crossing points from Turkey to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria's mainly rebel-held northwest. Days later, under pressure from both countries, the council authorized the delivery of aid through just one of those crossings, Bab anHawa. The one-year mandate for using that crossing expires Saturday.

U.S. Ambassador Linda ThomasGreenfield warned after Tuesday's council meeting that Bab al-Hawa "is a lifeline to millions of people" in northwestern Syria's Idlib region and if the crossing is closed, "I think the repercussions are obvious: people will starve to death."

Echoing U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, many Western diplomats and humanitarian groups working in Syria, Thomas-Greenfield said there is no substitute for delivering U.N. aid across borders from other countries rather than moving aid across conflict lines within Syria.

"Cross-line aid alone cannot meet the needs of the Syrians -- needs that have only risen in the past year with COVID," she said.

"We have offered to support expanding cross-line aid, and we will continue to do so in good faith," she said. "In fact, we have put forward a serious and credible proposal to expand humanitarian assistance across Syria -- including cross-line and cross-border, including urgent COVID relief -- to meet the urgent needs of the Syrian people."

Responding to a question about the comments from China's ambassador and whether the U.S. is prepared to offer any concessions on sanctions, Thomas-Greenfield replied: "This is not a discussion about sanctions. It's a question of humanitarian needs."

The ambassador, who visited Bab alHawa last month, said the U.S. sanctions target only Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, while U.S. humanitarian assistance is for all Syrians, in both government-controlled and rebel-held areas.

During the debate over the cross-border resolution a year ago, Russia raised the issue of U.S. and European Union sanctions on its close ally Syria and their negative impact on Syria's humanitarian situation.

The US and EU vehemently objected to the allegations, insisting their sanctions provide humanitarian exemptions.