China's efforts to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah are picking up speed as its special envoy on Middle East issues, Sun Bigan, flew to the region on August 6.

Sun came up with a proposal on bringing the conflict between Israel and Lebanon to a halt during his stay in Syria, the first leg of his ongoing visit to the region.

On a trip that will take him to Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Sun will exchange views with parties concerned on regional issues, especially the situation in Lebanon, so as to help ease tensions in the region.

An unconditional ceasefire in Lebanon tops Sun's five-point proposal, which he unveiled at a press conference in Damascus on Wednesday.

The next step is that the international community should respond quickly to head off a humanitarian disaster spreading in Lebanon and help abate the nation's travails.

A political framework that pursues a sustainable and permanent stability in the region should follow this approach. The succeeding mission is to reinitiate the Middle East peace talks and recognize the rights to which the nations in the region are entitled.

On Wednesday, diplomatic efforts to reach quick agreement on a United Nations resolution aimed at ending the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah faltered due to a clash between the United States and France over the timing of an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

The solutions thrown out for settling the conflict should heed the opinions of Lebanon and other Arab nations. Any proposals should be put forward with the consent of the countries involved and take their concerns into consideration.

The failed negotiations at the UN render unlikely a quick ceasefire in Lebanon.

Israel ordered new attacks on Hezbollah on Wednesday, as the UN squabbled.

In launching a new offensive, Israel scorned the protracted attempts of the UN Security Council to agree on terms for a negotiated end to the conflict.

How to negotiate a ceasefire is a matter of urgency for the international community.

That is not just because of the sufferings inflicted on civilians on both sides of the border between Israel and Lebanon. It is because the conflict threatens to spread like wildfire across a region enraged by Israel's destruction of an Arab country.

Dickering over a resolution on dealing with the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, the Security Council seems not to see the urgency of a ceasefire. The fighting in Lebanon has been mounting since it began on July 12.

The lack of urgency at the Security Council is reckless.

Even though differences among big powers linger on, the diplomatic drive should be kept under way.

Diplomacy needs to engage with all parties in the region.

(China Daily August 11, 2006)