Xi, Putin encourage crews of warships escorting chemical weapons shipment

President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had video chats on Thursday with crews aboard Chinese and Russian warships providing security support for vessels removing chemical weapons from Syria.

It is the first time that China and Russia have jointly participated in an international convoy mission, and it shows that Beijing and Moscow are closely coordinating in international affairs, analysts said.

During a 10-minute talk, Li Pengcheng, commander of the Chinese escort fleet, said the convoy has finished two rounds of its escort mission, and the Chinese warship Yancheng is waiting for its next assignment.

Xi called on the navies to finish their mission safely and smoothly and to contribute to the political resolution of the Syria issue.

Putin also vowed that the two countries will make "every effort" to ensure world safety.

On Jan 14, the Chinese frigate Yancheng and Russian missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky escorted the Dutch cargo ship Ark Futura, which was carrying the first shipment of chemical weapons removed from Syria.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the navies from the two countries cooperated to ensure the safe transportation in the Mediterranean Sea of chemical weapons from Syria. The Russian and Chinese ships maintained close contact during the escort.

"The first joint military operation by Russian and Chinese warships was a success," the ministry said in a statement.

The China-Russia joint military operation is a good example of efforts to resolve international issues, said Li Qinggong, deputy secretary-general of the China Council for National Security Policy Studies.

"China and Russia have a similar stance in resolving the Syria issue, and the joint cooperation shows the deep strategic trust between China and Russia and better coordination between the two militaries."

Russia made the proposal to destroy Syria's chemical weapons in September, and China immediately showed support for the plan.

China has repeatedly called for a political solution to the unrest in Syria. It has also sent experts to take part in related work and is willing to provide financial support for the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.

China and Russia have always supported a peaceful resolution to the Syria issue, Li said.

Zhang Junshe, deputy director of the Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said the convoy is a good example of how to resolve thorny international issues through cooperation.

"Regarding the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons, the multinational cooperation has been intensified, which shows the high importance each party attaches to resolving the Syria issue," Zhang said.

"It is another good example of international cooperation after the joint patrol in the Gulf of Aden."

The US, Denmark and Norway have also participated in the international mission to destroy Syria's chemical weapon.

In October, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution outlining a plan to put Syria's chemical arsenal under international control and eventually destroy the weapons.

Under a plan adopted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in November in The Hague, most critical chemicals in Syria should have been removed from the country by Dec 31 and destroyed by mid-March, while all other declared chemical materials will be eliminated by June 30.

But because of logistical challenges, bad weather and the unrest in Syria, the plan was delayed.

So far, only around 30 metric tons out of 1,300 — 4 percent of the "priority one" chemicals and roughly the same percentage of "priority two" chemicals — has been removed, the BBC reported.

Hundreds of people reportedly died in an Aug 21 sarin gas attack that Western nations blamed on Assad's government. But the Syrian authorities deny they used chemical weapons, blaming rebels.

Contact the writers at wujiao@chinadaily.com.cn and zhouwa@chinadaily.com.cn