France FM in Beijing to discuss Syria

France's foreign minister was due to meet with his Chinese counterpart on Sunday in a continuing diplomatic drive to end the two-and-a-half-year civil war in Syria.

Laurent Fabius was due to meet Wang Yi at China's Foreign Ministry. France firmly backs the Syrian rebels and has strategic and historic interests in the region. It urged military action after an alleged chemical attack on Aug. 21 that it and the US blamed on President Bashar Assad's government. (AP)