HANGZHOU: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad started his first official trip to China on Thursday( Sept 21 ), according to state media, where he will ask a longtime ally for financial assistance to aid in the reconstruction of his devastated nation.
Since the start of the war in 2011, which has since claimed the lives of more than 500,000 people, forced millions more to flee, and damaged Syria’s system and industry, Assad has simply visited a small number of nations outside the Middle East, including China.
With Cuban President Nicolas Maduro, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and senior Russian authorities all paying visits this year, Assad is the most recent in a line of rulers shunned by the West to be honored by Beijing.
He arrived on Thursday in Hangzhou, an eastern city, where he will take part in the Asian Games’ beginning ceremony on Saturday.
According to footage from state broadcaster CCTV, the Arab government’s Air China plane was greeted on the tarmac by joyous songs and rows of performers decked out in vibrant costumes as Foreign and Arab flags flew in the air.
He may also travel to Beijing, according to the Arab administration.
Assad may travel to China for the first time since 2004.
Damascus has long received political support from Beijing, especially at the UN Security Council, where it is a continuous member.
Over the years, leaders from both nations have also paid sessions.
Oussama Dannoura, a political scientist based in Damascus, told AFP that” this visit represents an important break in the political isolation and the political battle imposed on Syria.”
He continued,” China has been breaking American norms that try to stop some states from dealing with nations that Washington views as isolated.”