Chinese Ambassador in Damascus affirms opening a new page in the friendly relations between China and Syria

Damascus, (ST) – The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Syria, Shi Hongwei affirmed in a newspaper article yesterday that September 22, 2023 is a historic day for Chinese-Syrian relations, as President Xi Jinping and President Bashar Al-Assad held a friendly meeting in the city of Khanzhou, and jointly announced the establishment of strategic partnership relations between China and Syria. “This meeting also contributes to the design and strategic planning at the highest level for exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields, in addition to strengthening the traditional Chinese-Syrian friendship in an unprecedented way, and it will certainly benefit the two countries and their peoples”, he added.

The Chinese ambassador said: China and Syria are two ancient civilized countries, and the exchange between the peoples of the two countries goes back to ancient times, as the ancient Silk Road connects them closely.

The Chinese ambassador said that 67 years ago, Syria was one of the first Arab countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, and opened a new page for Chinese-Syrian friendship. “Despite the major changes in international and regional situations, China and Syria continued to exchange understanding and support, which made their extraordinary friendship a model for friendly relations between countries with different civilizations and systems”, he added.

The Chinese ambassador said: China and Syria are still working to strengthen their friendship, and the two countries exchange loyalty and sincerity. In recent years, President Xi Jinping and President Bashar Al-Assad have maintained close communication, established a deep personal friendship, and pushed the relations between the two countries to move forward. “The Chinese side firmly supports the Syrian efforts to preserve the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and supports the Syrian people to move on the path of development in line with national conditions’, he added.

He also said that China supports the policies and actions taken by the Syrian government in order to preserve the country’s security, stability, and development.

The ambassador pointed out that his country rejects foreign powers interfering in Syrian internal affairs and affecting its security and stability, the illegal military presence in Syria, the carrying out of illegal military operations there, or the plundering of its natural resources. He also calls on the concerned countries to immediately lift all unilateral and illegitimate sanctions about Syria.

The ambassador said that the Syrian side continues to stand with the Chinese side on issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, and participates positively in the Global Security Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

The Chinese ambassador continued: The two countries seek development through cooperation and mutual benefit, and China is the second largest source of commercial imports in Syria, and despite the serious impact resulting from the unilateral and illegal sanctions on Syria imposed by the United States and Western countries, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has achieved fruitful results in recent years thanks to the joint efforts of both sides.

The ambassador said: Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, China immediately extended a helping hand , providing a large amount of aid, including food supplies, buses, vaccines, medical equipment, etc., and trained a large number of Syrian cadres in various fields.After the devastating earthquake that struck Syria in Last February, the Chinese side provided the stricken areas, from the first moment, with clothes, tents, medicines, food, prefabricated housing units, and other urgent rescue materials. He added that the Chinese sectors and Chinese residing in Syria also organized donation activities for the stricken areas, on the way to rebuilding homes in the affected areas.

He also added that he Chinese side will continue to stand by Syria, and will provide all the assistance it can to Syria according to its needs.

The Chinese ambassador to Damascus said: The two sides appreciate each other in a way that enhances their communication, as the exchange between them has never ceased at the popular and cultural levels.

The ambassador pointed out that China has been working positively to enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the field of education, as every year a large number of Syrian students go to China to study for bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The ambassador said that in 2022, the “The Encounter of Mesopotamia and Ancient Syrian Cultural Monuments” exhibition was held in several Chinese cities, and 193 Syrian artifacts were displayed, winning praise from Chinese visitors. “Syria participated positively in the Alliance for the Protection of Asian Cultural Heritage conference, which was held in China this year; the two sides continue to support the reconstruction of Syrian cultural heritage after the earthquake”, he added.

The Chinese ambassador said: If brothers have the same mind, their unity can penetrate metal, and considering Syria a good brother and partner, China is ready to seize this opportunity as a new starting point for implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and deepening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economy, trade, agriculture, health, infrastructure building, culture and education, etc…, in a way that turns the common will of both parties into a practical plan.

The Chinese ambassador to Damascus said in his article: I am confident that under the joint sponsorship and strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Bashar Al-Assad, the deep friendship between China and Syria will continue to write a new chapter in the new historical period. “The bilateral relations will continually rise to new levels, thus contributing more to enhancing security and stability regional and even global, and strengthening solidarity and cooperation between developing countries”, he concluded.

Raghda Sawas