BEIJING -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Monday that China was seriously concerned about any unilateral military action against Syria.

At a regular press briefing, Hong said, "China is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons by any party in Syria and expresses serious concern about preparations by relevant countries for unilateral military action."

Hong said the United States has explained to China its evidence relating to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

"Any action by the international community should respect the rules of the UN Charter and basic rules of international relations," Hong said,adding that taking actions should avoid further complicating the Syria issue and avoid bringing more disaster to the Middle East.

China supports the UN Secretariat in carrying out an independent, objective and professional investigation on the alleged use of chemical weapons in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.

Hong said that no side should rush to pre-judge the results of an investigation by UN chemical weapons experts in Syria, saying that a political solution is the only practical way to solve the issue.