China's Syria Envoy in Paris for Talks

China's Syria envoy Zhang Ming was to hold meetings Wednesday and Thursday in Paris, the French foreign ministry said, but he was not due to meet top-level officials.

Western nations including France have been at loggerheads with China and Russia over the unrest in Syria, with the two powers blocking United Nations Security Council resolutions on the crisis.

Zhang was to arrive in Paris after talks with Arab League officials in Cairo, which he said agreed on the need to find a "political solution" to the Syria crisis.

"France welcomes this representative of the Chinese government with interest," deputy foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal told a press conference.

He said Zhang would be reminded of the need for "an urgent humanitarian solution," "an urgent end to repression" and "an urgent political solution" in Syria.

Zhang was to meet a presidential advisor and top ministry officials, but was not scheduled to meet President Nicolas Sarkozy, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe or any other ministers.