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Paper: China no 'rubber stamp' on Syria

BEIJING - The world must get used to a rising China speaking hard truths about international disputes such as Syria, a top newspaper said on Tuesday, saying its veto of a UN resolution on the Syrian crisis showed China would be no "rubber stamp".
China said its blocking, along with Russia, of a draft UN resolution that backed an Arab plan urging President Bashar Assad to quit, did not amount to supporting the Syrian leader.
Activists accused Assad's forces of bombarding part of the city of Homs before the UN vote on the weekend, killing 200 people in the worst bloodshed of the 11-month uprising. The opposition said 50 people were killed in Homs on Monday.
The head of the Arab League, Nabil Elaraby, said Russia and China had lost diplomatic credit in the Arab world by vetoing the resolution.