The United Nations Security Council failed to adopt two resolutions to end the conflict in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on Saturday.

One draft resolution proposed by France and Spain failed to be adopted after Russia vetoed it. The text, which demanded an end to air strikes over Aleppo, received 11 votes in favor, two against and two abstentions.

The second draft resolution proposed by Russia was also not adopted as it failed to gain support from a majority of council members. The measure called on all parties to cease hostilities, open humanitarian access, step up anti-terrorism efforts and support UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

It received four votes in favor, nine against and two abstentions.

Addressing the UN Security Council meeting on Syria at UN headquarters in New York, Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Liu Jieyi urged the international community to keep to the general direction of finding a political solution and push for solving the Syrian issue through dialogue among all related parties.

China abstained from the France-drafted resolution and voted in favor of the Russia-sponsored resolution.

Liu said actions by the Security Council should really be conducive to easing tensions in Syria and pushing related parties in Syria to immediately stop acts of hostility and support and coordinate humanitarian aid.

He said such actions should help combat all terrorist groups listed by the council, including the Islamic State. They should help seek a solution acceptable to all parties in Syria in the "Syrian-led and Syrian-owned" process under the mediation of the UN.

De Mistura said at a briefing that if urgent action is not taken to address the situation in Syria, thousands of Syrians would be killed and towns such as eastern Aleppo could be totally destroyed by the end of this year.

The UN estimates that the Syrian conflict, which has dragged on for five years, has driven more than 4.8 million refugees to neighboring countries, hundreds of thousands in Europe, and displaced 6.6 million people inside Syria against a pre-war population of over 20 million. More than 200,000 people are believed to have died as a result of the conflict.