China on Monday defended its veto of a UN resolution condemning the Syrian government's violent crackdown on protesters, as opposition activists reported that security forces had bombarded and killed several people in the flashpoint city of Homs.

A commentary in the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, said China had acted "responsibly" and in the interests of the Syrian people by joining Russia in vetoing the resolution.

"To push through a vote when parties are still seriously divided over the issue will not help maintain the unity and authority of the Security Council, or help properly resolve the issue," Li Baodong, China's ambassador to the United Nations said.

Li said China believed that the "sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria should be fully respected."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, condemned the West's outrage at the veto.

"Some comments from the West on the UN Security Council vote, I would say, are indecent and bordering on hysteria," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow. "Such hysterical comments are aimed at suppressing what is actually happening."

US accusations

Thirteen members of the Security Council voted for the resolution on Saturday, which was proposed by Arab and European nations to give strong support to an Arab League plan that aims to end the violence through a peaceful political transition.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday called China and Russia's veto a "travesty." Washington has accused Beijing and Moscow of protecting the Syrian regime.

Lavrov said the West is 'suppressing' the reality in Syria

"China does not accept the accusations," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters. "China does not have its own selfish interest on the issue of Syria. We don't shelter anyone. We uphold justice on the Syrian issue."

Shelling in Homs

Opposition groups in Syria reported on Monday that government security forces had shelled Homs, killing at least 12 people.

"Dozens of shells fell on the neighborhoods of Baba Amr and al-Bayyada hitting residential buildings and setting several on fire," said Omar Idlibi, spokesman of the opposition Local Coordination Committee.

"Ambulances were so far unable to reach the area to save the wounded because of the intensity of the shelling," Idlibi said.

Security forces heavily shelled Homs on Friday, killing an estimated 260 people and sparking international outrage and condemnation. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,400 people have died in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that 6,800 people have died since the crackdown on anti-government protesters began.

slk/ncy (AFP, dpa, Reuters)