On April 19, 2017, when jointly meeting the press after co-chairing the 7th round of China-EU high-level strategic dialogue with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, State Councilor Yang Jiechi expounded China's stance on the Syrian issue.

Yang Jiechi expressed that China firmly opposes any illegal use of chemical weapons, believes that political settlement is the only correct way to cope with the Syrian issue, and advocates that Syria's own problems should be decided independently by the Syrian people on the principle of Syrian-led. Both China and the EU agreed to advance political peace talks, enhance humanitarian assistance and reconstruction, protect local infrastructure, cooperate in anti-terrorism, and carry out relevant UN Security Council resolutions.