China Says Yemen Can Contain Unrest

By HuDie 2011-03-24

(YTWHW.com) - China on Thursday voiced confidence that authorities in Yemen can bring rising unrest under control, while calling for dialogue to quell anti-regime protests rocking the country.

"We believe the Yemeni government has the competence to properly handle the issue and restore social stability and normality at an early date," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told journalists.

"We are concerned with developments in Yemen and call for all parties in Yemen to resolve their disputes through dialogue and other peaceful means to avoid bloodshed and conflict."

Yemen's parliament on Wednesday approved a state of emergency declared by President Ali Abdullah Saleh despite an appeal from young Yemenis who said it could trigger a "massacre" aimed at putting down their protests.

Saleh has ruled for more than three decades but is facing an escalating campaign for his removal.

The protests come amid uprisings across the Middle East and Africa, including in Syria, Bahrain, and Libya. The presidents of Tunisia and Egypt have already fallen following similar demonstrations.