China, Russia defend veto on U.N. action against Syria

(CNN) -- China said on Wednesday the U.N. Security Council resolution it vetoed would not have helped "ease Syria's situation."

"The draft resolution presented by relevant countries put pressure blindly on Syria and threatened sanctions, which would not help ease Syria's situation," said Ma Zhaoxu, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry. "We call upon all parties concerned in Syria to stop all forms of violence, promote the government to put its commitment of reform into practice."

The statement comes a day after China and Russia blocked efforts of other major powers to pass a United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria. The resolution called for an immediate halt to the crackdown against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Russian ambassador to the U.N. said the Security Council action would be "an intervention" that would send the wrong message to the international community.

"I understand that my European colleagues are upset, having not obtained a resolution which they were trying to obtain," Russia's Vitaly Churkin told reporters afterward.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said Tuesday that the United States "is outraged that this council has utterly failed to address an urgent moral challenge and a growing threat to regional peace and security."

Rice walked out of Tuesday's meeting as the Syrian ambassador spoke about the U.S. exercising its veto on the Security Council resolution "to protect Israel."

Leaders from France, Germany, Portugal and the U.K. also expressed disappointment in the move by Russia and China.

Meanwhile, another round of violence flared in Syria on Tuesday as reports of more deaths surfaced amid the relentless government crackdown on protesters.

The nearly seven-month-long offensive has drawn world condemnation and calls to action against the government of al-Assad.

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