China is reiterating its push to end the violence in Syria and is set to work with the Gulf Cooperation Council to promote a political resolution to the conflict.

Zhang Ming, China's envoy in Syria and the Chinese assistant foreign minister, said China will seek a constructive role to end the turmoil in Syria during a meeting with the GCC on Sunday in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia.

The GCC is an organization of six oil-rich Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations, reinforced China's position on the conflict in Syria during a United Nations Security Council Ministerial Meeting on the Middle East.

"We call on the Syrian government and all the parties concerned to immediately cease all acts of violence, launch an inclusive political dialogue, agree on a comprehensive and detailed road map and timetable for reform through consultation, and implement them as soon as possible," Li said.

He added that the international community should "respect the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, and create conditions for the various political factions in Syria to launch dialogue".

He stressed that "China has no selfish interests in the Syrian issue. We do not shield anyone, or intentionally oppose anyone", adding that China supports the UN in playing a leading role to coordinate humanitarian relief efforts.

Li informed the UN Security Council that China will provide $2 million in emergency aid to the Syrian people through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

During the Sunday meeting with the GCC, Zhang stressed that China and the six GCC nations have appealed for an immediate end to violence, the protection of civilians, the implementation of humanitarian relief as well as respect for Syria's independence, sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity.

GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani said that Arab countries share China's stance on Syria and expressed hope that China and the GCC can work together to quickly resolve the crisis.

Zhang is scheduled to visit Egypt and France to explain China's position on Syria.

On Sunday, UN envoy Kofi Annan met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

"The situation is so bad and so dangerous that all of us cannot afford to fail," Annan said.

Annan rejected "foreign interference in Syrian affairs" and said he is committed "to working in a just, even-handed and independent way" to achieve a peaceful solution. China threw its support behind Annan's efforts in Syria, calling his mission an important one that the international community should support.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, Assad said his country is ready to make efforts to solve the unrest, but that opposition "terrorists" were standing in the way.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday voiced his appreciation of the recent initiatives by Russia and China to seek a resolution to the Syria violence. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said Monday that China supports Annan's mediation efforts.

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York on Monday at a UN Security Council special meeting on the Arab crisis. According to Bloomberg, Clinton and Lavrov addressed the UN Security Council with clashing views on how to tackle the year-old uprising.

Russia said last week that it opposed a US-backed UN draft resolution on Syria because it called on the government only to end violence but did not mention rebel forces in Syria.

Lavrov also met with his counterparts from Arab League states on Saturday in Cairo and agreed on a five-point formula to resolve the crisis and "end the violence whatever its source".

The agreement between the Arab League states urged the Syrian government and opposition to cooperate with the UN and the Arab League. Liu said Monday that China is in favor of this deal.

You can contact the writers at zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn and yuweizhang@chinadailyusa.com

Xinhua and AFP contributed to this story.