China said Tuesday that a UN Security Council resolution on Syria, which had been drafted and distributed by some countries, would not help ease the current situation there.

"Syria is an important nation in the Middle East and its stability concerns the security and stability of the region as a whole," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular news briefing.

China supports Syria's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and stability, said Jiang.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al- Mekdad was currently visiting China and had talks with Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zhai Jun, and would meet Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi later on Tuesday, she said.

The two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern, Jiang said.

Protests that erupted ten weeks ago in Syria's southern city of Daraa have spread to most of the country. Syria has accused "armed terrorist gangs backed by foreign powers" of instigating the riots.