Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made a historic trip to China in search of financial support and allies to improve his country’s position in the international community. This visit marks his first appearance in China in nearly two decades and his main aim is to gain access to investments to address the reconstruction and economic crisis facing Syria, worn down by years of civil war and Western sanctions.
In this sense, the head of state’s visit to China comes at a time when the Asian giant is trying to strengthen its influence in the Middle East and expand bilateral relations with countries that have waged confrontations with the United States and its Western allies. During his stay, he implemented a program that included meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping to strengthen diplomatic relations.
Syria has been internationally isolated for years and the target of sanctions over alleged atrocities during the ongoing civil war, including the use of chemical weapons and numerous human rights abuses. This conflict left more than half a million dead and a nation in ruins.
But efforts to rebuild the country have been hampered by Western sanctions and the refusal of the United States and several European countries to finance without a UN-backed political agreement. In this scenario, the role of actors such as Chin and Russia appears, which, despite these accusations, chose to maintain diplomatic relations with the al-Assad government and block UN resolutions on Syria until 2020.
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