China rejects British criticism of UN Syria vote

China: Beijing yesterday rejected as "irresponsible" accusations by Britain's foreign secretary that China had let the Syrian people down by vetoing a UN resolution condemning a bloody crackdown in the country.

China and Russia both came under a barrage of criticism for blocking the UN Security Council resolution on Saturday, with Washington calling their rejection a "travesty" and the Syrian opposition saying they had handed President Bashar al-Assad's regime a "licence to kill".

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said their action would only encourage further bloodshed in Syria and accused Beijing and Russia of siding with the Syrian regime "in support of their own national interests".

"Their approach lets the Syrian people down, and will only encourage President Assad's brutal regime to increase the killing, as it has done in Homs over the past 24 hours," Hague said in a strongly worded statement on Saturday.

China's foreign ministry -- which has repeatedly defended Beijing's decision and called on both sides in the conflict to halt violence -- said Hague's comments were "extremely irresponsible" and had "ulterior motives". AFP