Xi Jinping to host President Assad as China and Syria seek deeper bilateral relations

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China’s Foreign Ministry said Assad would attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games, an international sports event beginning Saturday in the eastern city of Hangzhou.

Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Assad’s visit to China would “further deepen political mutual trust and cooperation in various fields between the two countries and push bilateral relations to a new level.”

China and Syria have “a tradition of profound friendship,” she said, which has “maintained a healthy and stable development” over the years.

China has been expanding its reach in the Middle East after mediating a deal in March between Saudi Arabia and Iran and it continues to support Assad in the Syrian conflict, which has killed half a million people and left large parts of the nation in ruins.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative

China could play a major role in the future, which is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars. Syria last year joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative in which Beijing expands its influence in developing regions through infrastructure projects.

Assad’s office said earlier that the Syrian leader was invited by Xi and would bring with him a high-ranking Syrian delegation.

Syria’s worsening economic crisis has led to protests in government-held parts of the country. Syria blames the crisis on Western sanctions and US-backed Kurdish-led fighters who control the country’s largest oil fields in the east near the border with Iraq.

Since Syria’s conflict began in March 2011 with pro-democracy protests and later turned into a civil war, Iran and Russia have helped Assad regain control of much of the country.

China has used its veto power at the UN eight times to stop resolutions against Assad’s government.

Assad’s last and only visit to China was in 2004, a year after the US-led invasion of neighbouring Iraq and at a time when Washington was putting pressure on Syria.