Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Remarks on August 14, 2019

Q: On August 7, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement that consensus was reached between Turkey and the US on building a safe zone in northern Syria. On August 13, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced the decision to create a joint operation center in the planned safe zone in northern Syria. The US Department of Defense also confirmed its initial agreement with the Turkish side on building security facilities in the border area between Turkey and Syria. What is China's comment on that?

A: As China noted, the Syrian government has made a statement on its position. China believes Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected and protected. Recently there has been a buildup of momentum for a political settlement of the Syrian issue. Relevant parties of the international community should work in concert to create favorable conditions for a political settlement and avoid complicating the situation in Syria.