China sides with Russia against Obama cowboy plan to bomb Syria

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9/5/13, "China backs Russia over Syria at G20 summit," South China Morning Post

AFP

"China warned on Thursday that military intervention in Syria would hurt the world economy and push up oil prices, reinforcing Vladimir Putin’s attempts to talk US President Barack Obama out of air strikes.

The rift over Syria could overshadow a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) developed and developing economies in St Petersburg at which global leaders want to forge a united front on growth, trade, banking transparency and fighting tax evasion.

The club that accounts for two thirds of the world’s population and 90 per cent of its output is divided over issues such as turmoil in emerging markets and the Federal Reserve’s decision to end its programme of stimulus for the US economy.

But no rift is wider than the one between the US and Russian leaders on possible military intervention in Syria to punish President Bashar al-Assad over a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people on August 21.

Putin was isolated on Syria at a Group of Eight meeting in June, the last big meeting of world powers, but now has China to back him at the G20 summit in Russia’s former imperial capital.

“Military action would have a negative impact on the global economy, especially on the oil price – it will cause a hike in the oil price,” Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao told a briefing before the start of the G20 leaders’ talks.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated that any party resorting to chemical warfare should accept responsibility for it but said unilateral military actions violate international law and would complicate the conflict.

Like Moscow, one of Syria’s main arms suppliers, Beijing has veto powers on the United Nations Security Council. Obama is unlikely to win Security Council approval for military action
but is seeking the approval of the US Congress.
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France echoed Obama’s call for action over the gas attack, which Washington blames on Syrian government troops and Moscow says may have been carried out by rebels trying to oust Assad."...via Zero Hedge. image above AFP, "President Xi Jinping meets Russia’s President Vladimir Putin before the G20 summit on Thursday in Saint Petersburg"


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