Chinese FM to join Syria peace talks

BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will leave Beijing on Wednesday for the Syria peace conference in Geneva and the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos of Switzerland.

Wang will make the trips respectively at the invitation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei announced on Monday.

Ban Ki-moon will chair the Syria conference, which will be held in two parts. Following the opening session in Montreux on January 22, talks between the two Syrian parties will start at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on January 24, facilitated by Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi.

The WEF Annual Meeting, scheduled for January 22-26, is themed "Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business."