Bouthaina Shaaban to discuss crisis

Senior aide to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Bouthaina Shaaban is due to arrive in China on Tuesday for talks on the crisis, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Bouthaina Shaaban, a "special adviser" to the Syrian President, will hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and other officials, the ministry said. China was also considering inviting members of the Syrian opposition to visit soon, it said, but gave no details. The ministry said it was part of China's effort to implement the UN's six-point peace plan. The statement repeated China's calls for an immediate ceasefire and political dialogue to resolve the Syria crisis. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement that China had always "actively balanced its work between the Syrian government and the opposition". He repeated China's call for the "practical implementation" of former UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan - now widely considered defunct - and for "an immediate ceasefire". "Receiving Shaaban in China is part of the above-mentioned work by the Chinese side," Qin said, adding: "China is also considering inviting Syrian opposition groups in the near term to China."