On September 22, seizing the opportunity provided by the visit of Bashar al-Assad to Hangzhou for the 19th Asian Games, China and Syria announced the establishment of a strategic partnership. The joint declaration contains statements of mutual support regarding all the issues that are dear to both countries. These range from Damascus’ backing of Chinese policies in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, to Beijing’s promise to provide “all it can” to help with Syrian reconstruction.
While not directly involved on the ground in any meaningful way (especially compared to Russia), China has played a key role at the United Nations, repeatedly vetoing resolutions that could have undermined al-Assad’s position, even if this meant upsetting some of its Gulf partners.
Against this background, it is worth examining Chinese perspectives on al-Assad’s visit to China. What emerges is that the Syrian leader’s trip and Syria’s recent diplomatic successes are perceived as significant triumphs for Chinese diplomacy vis-à-vis both the Syrian issue specifically, and across the Middle East more broadly. However, despite Damascus’ aspirations, it is remains difficult to find concrete evidence suggesting that these recent developments will prompt deeper Chinese economic involvement in Syria.
Andrea Ghiselli (T.wai & Fudan University) in the ChinaMed Observer on how Chinese commentators discussed the visit of Bashar al-Assad to China.
