 | |
 China |  Syria |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of China in Damascus | Embassy of Syria in Beijing |
| Envoy | |
| AmbassadorShi Hongwei andSpecial Envoy on the Middle EastZhai Jun | Ambassador Mohammad Hassaneh Khalil Haddam |
China–Syria relations are foreign relations betweenChina andSyria. Thenationalist government ofChina recognized Syria in 1946. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established on 1 August 1956. China has an embassy inDamascus and Syria has an embassy inBeijing, the two governments generally maintaining a friendly political and economic relationship for the last several decades, which continues to endure despite theSyrian civil war.[a]
Syria did not recognize the People's Republic of China when it was founded in 1949.[2] Following theBandung Conference in 1955 their diplomatic relations improved which led to the sign of trade agreements.[2] In 1956, Syria established a formal diplomatic relationship with China, becoming the second Arab country to do so.[3]: 142
The relationship between China and Syria during theCold War was grounded in the two countries support for theNon-Aligned Movement and their opposition to what they viewed asWestern imperialism.[3]: 149
During theSyrian civil war, one of China's primary concerns was the involvement of Uyghur militants from Xinjiang.[3]: 150 These militants gained combat experience from fighting the Syrian government and other factions.[3]: 150 China deems these militants as becoming further radicalized and a potential threat if they return to China.[3]: 150
China |  Syria |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of China in Damascus | Embassy of Syria in Beijing |
In addition to more typical diplomatic ties, in the early stages of the Syrian civil war,China's Special Envoy on the Middle East IssueWu Sike dealt with Syrian issues.[4] His successorGong Xiaosheng continued to make Syrian diplomatic issues a priority until 2016, when China appointed a separate Special Envoy for the Syrian Crisis, Xie Xiaoyan.[5][6] On 2 September 2019,Zhai Jun was appointed as the Chinese Special Envoy to the Middle East Issue, succeeding Gong Xiaosheng.[7][8]
China engaged in some efforts to facilitate mediation during the Syrian Civil War, primarily through its embassy level officials.[3]: 156 High-level diplomatic exchanges between China and Syria during the Civil War were minimal untilWang Yi's July 2021 visit to Syria.[3]: 156
Syria participates in theChina-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), which is the primary multilateral cooperation body between China and the Arab states.[9] Although the Arab states primarily coordinate in CASCF through theArab League, Syria coordinated individually between 2011 and 2023 due to the suspension of its Arab League membership.[10] In 2023, Syria participated on CASCF summit inChengdu as member of Arab League for the first time since 2011.[11][12]
In 2004, Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad visited China, the first visit by a Syrian head of state since the establishment of diplomatic relations.[13] President Assad made his second official visit to China between 21 and 26 September 2023, the first high-level encounter since the civil war. Assad alongside his wifeAsma al-Assad attended the opening ceremony of the19th Asian Games inHangzhou. The next day he metCCP General SecretaryXi Jinping for in-depth talks, and also led a delegation of Syrian officials to discuss economic relations to rebuild war-torn Syria. Xi said relations between the two countries "have withstood the test of international changes" and China's foreign ministry remarked that Assad's visit will take bilateral relations to a "new level".[13] On 22 September 2023, China and Syria jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership.[14]
After thefall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024, Syrian PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa met with China's ambassador to DamascusShi Hongwei on 22 February 2025. This marked the first official interaction between the two nations.[15]
In 2009, mutual trade between the two countries was worth nearly $2.2 billion according to figures from theInternational Monetary Fund, and similar trade volumes were expected by the Syrian Ministry of Economy for 2010. The trade, however, is almost entirely one way. Exports from Syria to China made up less than 1 percent of the total trade volume at $5.6 million, while exports from China to Syria were worth $2.2 billion making China Syria's main importer.[16][17][18] China is actively involved in Syria's oil industry.China National Petroleum Corporation is a joint venture partner withSyria's national oil company andRoyal Dutch Shell in the Al-Furat Petroleum Company, the main oil producing consortium in the country.[19] The Al-Furat consortium produces some 100,000 barrels per day (bpd).[20]Sinochem is another Chinese oil company that has been very active in recent oil exploration tenders. China's CNPC andSinopec are helping to revive output under rehabilitation contracts for small matureoil fields in Syria.[19]
In 1991 China sold a miniature neutron source reactor called SRR-1 to Syria.[21] In 2015 Syria stated its willingness to send back the uranium to China in the aftermath of its disarmament of its chemical weapons.[22] 10 July 2018,CCP General SecretaryXi Jinping pledged to provide CN¥600 million ($91 million) in financial aid toJordan,Lebanon, Syria andYemen, as part of a model "oil and gas plus" to revive economic growth in theMiddle East.[23] By 2021, China's share of Syrian exports was minimal.[24] In 2021, China was the second biggest import partner of Syria with a share of 11.1%.[24]
After over a decade of civil war in Syria, the question of who will be in charge of the reconstruction has arisen over and over again (though any practical activity in that direction was suspended during the acute stage of thecoronavirus crisis). China's position on this issue can be discerned by looking at its prewar relations with Syria and the way it has behaved during the war.[25][26] Following the Chinese-led normalisation of ties between Iran, Saudi Arabia and otherArab states of the Persian Gulf in March 2023, and the readmission of Syria to theArab League, Syria is following the trend to end its isolation from other Middle Eastern and Asian countries and already joined China'sBelt and Road Initiative (BRI) in January 2022.[27] After the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, Sino-Syrian relations will primarily focus on economic cooperation to execute challenging infrastructure projects including electric power generation, gas sector, technology, trade, industries, housing and agriculture in various fields. China will also "support thegovernment's economic, social and infrastructure reconstruction efforts".[28]
Chinese Muslims fought against Japan in World War II. In order to gain backing for China in Muslim countries, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey was visited by Hui Muslim Ma Fuliang (馬賦良)[29] and Uyghur MuslimIsa Yusuf Alptekin in 1939.[30] The Hindu leaders Tagore and Gandhi and Muslim Jinnah both discussed the war with the Chinese Muslim delegation under Ma Fuliang while in Turkeyİsmet İnönü met with the Chinese Muslim delegation.[31] Newspapers in China reported the visit.[32] Ma Fuliang and Isa were working for Zhu Jiahua.[33]
The bombardment of Chinese Muslims by the warplanes of the Japanese was reported in the newspapers of Syria. Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon were all toured by the delegation. The Foreign Minister, Prime Minister, and President of Syria met with the Chinese Muslim delegation after they came via Egypt in May 1939. Gandhi and Jinnah met with the Hui Ma Fuliang and Uyghur Isa Alptekin as they denounced Japan.[34] Ma Fuliang, Isa Alptekin, Wang Zengshan, Xue Wenbo, and Lin Zhongming all went to Egypt to denounce Japan in front of the Arab and Islamic words.[35]
In 1969, then chief of staffMustafa Tlass led a military mission toBeijing, and secured weapons deals with the Chinese government.[36][37][38] In a move calculated to deliberately antagonize theSoviets to stay out of the succession dispute then going on in Syria, Mustafa Tlass allowed himself to be photographed wavingMao Zedong'sLittle Red Book, just two months afterbloody clashes between Chinese and Soviet armies on theUssuri river.[39][40] The Soviet Union then agreed to back down and sell Syria weapons.
In May 1989,Libya has agreed to financeSyria's purchase ofM-9 andM-11 missiles from China. In December 1989, it was reported that Syria and China have signed a contract for 140 M-9 and M-11 missiles to Syria for $170 million.[41] Missile sales to Syria were cancelled under U.S. pressure in 1991.[42][43] In 1992 and 1996, China was reported to be assisting Syrian ballistic missile programs.[44][45]
On 19 October 1999, Defence Minister of China, GeneralChi Haotian, met with Syrian Defence MinisterMustafa Tlass inDamascus,Syria, to discuss expanding military ties between Syria and China.[46]
In August 2016Guan Youfei, Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation ofChina's Central Military Commission, stated that: "The Chinese and Syrian militaries traditionally have a friendly relationship, and the Chinese military is willing to keep strengthening exchanges and cooperation with theSyrian Armed Forces".[47]
By 2022, Chinesemilitary advisors were reportedly in Syria to rebuild its military installations and to train their Syrian counterparts on a wide range of weapons purchased from China, including rocket launchers, machine guns and sniper rifles. It also included further cooperation betweenSSRC and China over Syria's ballistic missile program.[48]
Since his appointment to the newly created position in 2016, China's Special Envoy for the Syria Crisis Xie Xiaoyan has focused on diplomatic efforts including: achieving a cease fire, facilitating a political resolution to the conflict, humanitarian assistance, counterterrorism activities, reconstruction, and condemning chemical weapons use.[49] Xie emphasizes the need for a full investigation of alleged chemical weapons use by the Assad government.[49] Xie also states that the world must learn from the experiences of Iraq and Syria and avoid regime change via foreign intervention.[50] As its Special Envoy emphasizes, China's position is that a political solution must be reached that respects Syria's sovereignty and rights to noninterference and nonintervention, consistent with China'sFive Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.[51]
China also views counter-terrorism as a major concern to be addressed in the context of the Syrian crisis.[52] In China's view, some of the Syrian opposition groups (for example, theTurkistan Islamic Party, or TIP) are terrorists.[53] China attributesXinjiang conflict from 2012 to 2015 as partially due to TIP, particularly via its ties toUyghurs inXinjiang.[54] China frames Russia's military intervention in Syria in terms of counter-terrorism operations.[54]
China has also cooperated with Syria on the issue ofUyghur militants joining the Syrian opposition in fighting Assad's government, with estimates of hundreds to several thousand Uyghur fighters in Syria and some working withTahrir al-Sham.[55][56][57][58] China has also allegedly increased direct military links to Syria's government, although more discreetly than Russia has done.[59] Although China claims it has no military presence in Syria, there were reports of military cooperation in 2016, 2017, and 2018.[60]
In its position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China vetoed ten resolutions regardingSyria between 2010 and 2020, consistent with China's trend towards a more vocal position at the UN regarding matters of sovereignty.[61] Syria under Assad was one of 53 countries that backed theHong Kong national security law at theUnited Nations in June 2020.[62] The Assad government supported the Chinese government'spersecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.[63]
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