BEIJING - China will send personnel to join the United Nations' (UN) observers mission and its advance team in Syria, it was confirmed on Friday.

"China is discussing the details with the UN Secretariat," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a regular press conference.

A seven-strong advance team of UN observers arrived in Damascus on Sunday night to monitor the implementation of the cease-fire brokered by UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan.

Their arrival came a day after the UN Security Council unanimously approved the observers mission. The team will be followed by other groups of observers and the total number of monitors may eventually reach 250.

Liu said China supports any efforts to help realize a sustained cessation of violence and initiate political dialogue among parties in Syria.

China will continue to play a constructive role in seeking a fair, peaceful and proper resolution for the Syrian issue, he added.

The UN and the Syrian government on Thursday signed an agreement on the rules governing the mission to monitor an internationally backed cease-fire, according to Ahmad Fawzi, Annan's spokesman.

Fawzi said that the Office of the Joint Special Envoy is also having similar discussions with representatives of the opposition on the tasks and responsibilities of the armed opposition groups.

Liu reiterated that China supports Annan's mediation efforts, noting that China is glad to see the progress made concerning the deployment of the UN observers mission.

He called on all parties concerned in Syria to actively cooperate with Annan's work, urging them to swiftly end violence and open political talks, so as to restore domestic stability as soon as possible.

China has actively participated in UN Security Council consultations and supported an early deployment of the observers mission, according to Liu.

The spokesman said he hoped the UN Security Council will soon reach consensus on the details of the mission and give tangible support to Annan's mediation work, in order to jointly push forward a fair, peaceful and proper resolution to the Syrian crisis.