A senior Syrian official reaffirmed Saturday in Damascus that Syria firmly supports the peaceful reunification of China and does not recognize the legality of the Taiwan authority.

Syrian Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlullah told Xinhua in an interview that the Taiwan issue should be resolved by the Chinese people themselves, criticizing some Western countries which imposed pressure on the Chinese government on the Taiwan issue.

Meanwhile, Dakhlullah spoke highly of the achievements of relations between Syria and China in various fields, saying the two countries share similar positions on major international issues.

He expressed appreciation over China's support for Syria's stand in achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of relative UN resolutions.

Dakhlullah noted that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's visit to China last June was fruitful, expressing the wish to further improve bilateral economic cooperations.