China hopes the international community will play a positive and constructive role in finding a political resolution to the Syrian issue, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Monday.

The urgent priority in Syria is encouraging the Syrian government and the opposition to start a political dialogue at an early date, in order to find a solution that fully reflects the will of the people and can be accepted by all sides, spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing.

The solution should include drawing a political transition road map and forming a transitional management institution, according to Hua.

China always believes that a political settlement is the only practical solution for the Syrian issue, she said.

After an international conference of the so-called Friends of Syria convened in Rome on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States has stepped up support for the Syrian opposition with additional $60 million in "non-lethal" assistance.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2013)