China's Wang says 'deeply concerned' about Syria in talks with Egypt counterpart

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Wang held a joint press conference at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, wrapping up a two-day trip for "strategic dialogue".

"The two sides are deeply concerned about the current situation in Syria and call for respect for Syria's sovereignty," Wang told journalists, urging the prevention of "terrorist and extremist forces from taking advantage of the chaos".

Ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad fled the country after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, which brought a sudden end to five decades of repressive rule by his clan.

The collapse of Assad's administration closes an era in which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and caps nearly 14 years of war that killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions.

"We agreed that we should promote peace and negotiations in order to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East," Wang said alongside Abdelatty.