Second-tier diplomacy is at work for Syria. The intention of Damascus to send one of its little known senior aides to China for refreshing talks, amid the crisis at home, could be like aiming in the darkness.

Though the agenda with which Bouthaina Shaaban has arrived in Beijing is unknown, it goes without saying that the embattled regime is feeling the heat. The exit of United Nations special envoy Kofi Annan, who was widely seen as a moderate, has literally unnerved the reigning Baath Party. Now reports that Lakhdar Brahimi, a seasoned diplomat from the region, with a tilt towards the Arab League’s obsession to see the departure of President Bashar Al Assad, would take over the role of a mediator is more than enough for Damascus to see a doomsday scenario. Perhaps this has warranted Beijing to make it clear on Shaanban’s visit that China endeavours to see the UN-Arab League backed Six-Point plan see the light of the day. If the Syrian envoy is in China to soft-peddle the salient features of its implementation, it is a welcome development.

The Chinese foreign ministry’s statement that it wants to deflect criticism over its repeated vetoes in favour of the Assad regime, and wants to develop a political solution to the crisis is quite meaningful. Such a contention with the readiness of Beijing to host many of the opposition leaders is appreciated. The point is until and unless a political solution is found, the hectic activity on the international front will be nothing more than waste of time.

What Syria needs at this point of time is a considerate roadmap to pull it out of the mess. With more than 15,000 dead in a span of a year, and around two million displaced, the civil war is taking its toll on the nation. The once progressive and modern Arab state is now in a state of limbo, and the refugee exodus has deranged its geopolitical serenity. Syria virtually sits on the brink of disaster wherein ethnic and linguistic brawls — that the country is experiencing on its borders — could plunge it further into uncertainty. Beijing and Moscow have no choice but to prevail over Damascus.