Syria's "sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected," the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations said.

China has reiterated calls for restraint and investigation to avoid war in Syria, emphasizing that the country's sovereignty must be respected and that thorough and impartial investigations are needed before jumping to conclusions about the alleged use of chemical weapons.

"We call on the parties concerned to remain calm, exercise restraint, refrain from any move that may lead to further escalation of the situation, solve the issue peacefully through consultation and dialogue," Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ma Zhaoxu said Friday.

"Unilaterally taking military action by circumventing the Security Council is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the U.N. Charter and runs counter to the norms of international law and those governing international relations. Sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity should be respected."

On Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis admitted that the United States had no proof of the chemical weapons attack which is being used to justify calls for military escalation: "We are looking for the actual evidence," Mattis said.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russian experts have examined the location of the supposed attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta. "We have irrefutable data that this was staged," Lavrov said during a Friday press conference.

While no evidence has been publicly put forward regarding the attacks, several NGOs – including the controversial White Helmets – claim that a gas, probably sarin, was used in Douma on April 7.

The reports prompted calls for military strikes against the Syrian government by the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Russia, which has said it would militarily counter any strike launched against Syria, believes the reports of chemical attacks are part of a strategy designed to justify foreign intervention.

Bolivia has agreed with Russia's assessment, calling a session of the Security Council to discuss the issue on Wednesday. Bolivia's U.N. Ambassador Sacha Llorenti told the council that the push for war is an effort of imperialist powers, namely the United States.

"Empires are not interested in advancing democracy or freedom, their ultimate goal is to expand their own power and domination around the world," Llorenti said.