China supports Syrian people's freedom to choose leadership and opposes outside intervention to force regime change

China and Russia have come under fire again for vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution, brokered by the West, on July 19 that would have paved the way for imposing sanctions on Syria.

As usual, the Western media have held China and Russia accountable for the escalating conflict in Syria. Susan Rice, US permanent representative to the UN, has criticized China and Russia, saying that "history will judge those that three times have blocked (Security) Council action quite harshly".