China FM pledges support for Syria in ‘achieving peace’

BEIJING: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi pledged support for Damascus on Monday in “achieving peace at an early date,” as his Syrian counterpart Asaad Al-Shaibani made his first official visit to Beijing.
Shaibani’s trip to China comes amid growing efforts to rebuild Syria’s diplomatic presence after years of international isolation under Bashar Assad.
Syria’s new Islamist authorities are facing significant challenges, including reconstructing the country after the overthrow of longtime ruler Assad last December.
China supports Syria in “achieving peace at an early date,” coordinating security and development, and integrating into the international community, Wang told Shaibani on Monday, according to a readout from Beijing’s foreign ministry.
Beijing will also support Syria in finding “a nation-rebuilding plan that aligns with the will of the people” through political dialogue, Wang said.
“China is willing to work together with the international community to contribute to Syria’s pursuit of security and stability,” he said.
Syria’s new leaders have sought to break from their violent past since taking power and present a more moderate image at home and abroad.
The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad’s brutal repression of anti-government protests, killed more than half a million people and devastated the country’s infrastructure.
Beijing has long provided Damascus with diplomatic support, particularly at the UN Security Council where China is a permanent member.
Assad met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the eve of the Asian Games opening ceremony in 2023, which Assad attended as part of his first visit to China since 2004.
During the talks, Xi announced a “strategic partnership” with Syria and hailed relations between the two countries that had “withstood the test of international changes.”