China on Friday strongly condemned the massacre in Syria's Hama region on Thursday, calling for continuing support for the mediation of UN-Arab League joint envoy Kofi Annan.

Syria's state TV said on Thursday that armed groups committed a massacre in Traimseh in central Hama province, killing about 200 people in the town.

"China has always strongly denounced actions that harm innocent civilians", and urges concerned Syrian parties to take concrete measures and fulfill commitment to end the violence as soon as possible, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a daily news conference.

Britain, the United States, France and Germany circulated a new draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that threatens sanctions against Syria and places Annan's peace plan under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter.

Moscow rejected the resolution, saying it is unbalanced because obligations are required only by the Syrian government while the resolution says nothing about the opposition parties' obligations.

"China is seriously studying the draft resolution," Liu said.

Because of differences regarding the resolution, China called for consensus among parties through patient consultations to maintain the Security Council's solidarity and advance the political settlement of the Syrian issue, Liu said.

The 15-member Security Council is scheduled to vote on the future of its Syria monitoring mission on July 18, two days before the mission expires.

Russia has proposed extending the mission for 90 days, but Britain, the US, France and Germany suggested extending the mission for 45 days. Initially, 300 unarmed UN military observers entered Syria to monitor an April 12 cease-fire, as a part of Annan's peace plan.

Liu said China supports the extension of the mission, but he stressed that altering the mission should be in favor of Annan's peace plan and the political settlement of the Syrian issue.

He also suggested that the mission should hear the opinions of Syria's concerned parties on continuing the mission.

A joint communique issued after the Action Group meeting on Syria on June 30 said that the international community wished to see "an end to the violence and human rights abuses", and that the Syrian people had the right to "independently and democratically determine their own future".

Liu urged relevant parties to continue backing Annan and seriously implement his six-point peace plan, Security Council's relevant resolutions as well as the communique of the Action Group meeting, so as to ease the tension in Syria soon.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

zhaoshengnan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/14/2012 page8)