President Al-Assad in an interview with China Central Television: China plays an important role in the world based on the principle of partnership, not hegemony
Beijing (ST): President Bashar al-Assad stressed that China is a great power that plays a very important role in the world, and when it talks about partnership it talks about a new principle and does not talk about hegemony.
President al-Assad indicated in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that China stood with Syria politically through its role in the Security Council and in a number of international forums, and it is natural for there to be a broader dialogue with it in light of the circumstances the world is going through and in light of the economic blockade. The cruel West aims to starve the Syrian people.
President al-Assad affirmed that the Syrian people are capable of rebuilding their country when the war stops and when the siege ends, indicating that our region faces two types of danger: the danger of modern Western liberalism that originated in America and the danger of extremism.
Below is the full text of the interview:
The first question: Thank you for accepting this exclusive interview with China Media Group. The last time you and your wife visited China was in 2004. How do you feel about visiting China again? What are the biggest changes you feel in China?
President Assad: First, thank you for conducting this interview today. As for the visit to China, when we visited China nineteen years ago until today, there were very big leaps. If I wanted to make a comparison, I can say that it is difficult to make a comparison, because a lot has changed in that time. It was said that China was called the factory of the world or the factory of goods for the world, but today I can say that China is the factory of creativity, on the one hand, but on the other hand, the thing that is known about the Chinese people is that they love their country very much, and it is natural that there is always pride in any people of their homeland, but it is quite clear that this pride has reached much greater levels, because of Chinese achievements, but what I want to focus on and may be just as important, is the importance of these achievements, and perhaps more important, is what has not changed in China. Here comes the biggest challenge, because changes always bring with them negative aspects. The most important aspect that has not changed in China is culture. It is belonging to the homeland, to society, to Chinese customs and traditions. This is the greatest success.
Many countries can develop technologically, economically, and in various scientific fields, but few of them can maintain their identity, and the Chinese identity today is as clear as it was twenty years ago.
The second question: This time, you and your wife also attended the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. When the Syrian delegation entered the place, the scene was full of liveliness and excitement. I would like to share with you a video of the scene. When the Syrian delegation entered the place, people were screaming and cheering. On Chinese social media, I have read a lot of comments and found them very moving, so I would like to share a few with you. One person wrote: “You have to look at the stars even in the ruins.” Another comment said: “What is shown to the world is not only destruction, but also “Limitless vitality,” and another person commented: “My hopes are that roses will bloom all over Damascus, and peace and love will remain in this land.”
Mr. President, what do you want to say to the Chinese public and citizens?
President Assad: Of course, I remember this moment accurately, because it is an emotional moment when the Chinese people or the Chinese audience in the stadium cheered for the entry of the Syrian team, and this means a lot in such a situation because it is a spontaneous moment, this is the Chinese people, and sometimes we think that because of the distances we distance ourselves from each other emotionally. Perhaps in different terms, this moment was enough to say that China and Syria at the popular level are close to each other, but as for the Internet users, and regarding this particular event, I want to thank them for their interest and for the comments, some of which we read and which were very influential, and for their knowledge of what is happening in Syria and their love for Syria.
The third question: While you were in Khanju, President Xi held a historic meeting with you, and you jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Syria. How do you read the meaning of this strategic partnership? In what specific areas do you expect cooperation between the two countries to witness greater development?
President Assad:
China today is a superpower that plays a very important role in the world. However, when it talks about partnership, it talks about a new principle. It does not talk about hegemony. China stood with Syria politically through its role in the Security Council and in a number of international forums, in addition to clear political positions far from pleasantries, so the political aspect is basically developed, but it is natural for there to be a broader dialogue. In these circumstances that the world is going through, there is the economic aspect, the development aspect for us in Syria that concerns us a lot, because Syria is now exposed to a bad, harsh and dangerous economic siege from the West that aims to starve the Syrian people. This is an important aspect for us, and it was one of the broad headings that we expanded on with Chinese officials, there are several aspects. Of course, China provides humanitarian aid to Syria and plays an important role in alleviating the suffering. We have set titles. When we return to Damascus, meetings will take place in order to develop mechanisms to transform these titles into practical work projects.
The fourth question: In your meeting with President Xi, you mentioned that China has embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and we have noted that there are also some discussions in Syria about how to learn from China’s development experience, what inspiration do you think the Chinese-style modernization path will bring to reconstruction and development in Syria in the future?
President Assad:
First, there must be joint projects and contact between Chinese expertise and Syrian expertise in projects of an industrial economic nature. China’s conditions a few decades ago were similar to the conditions of many third world countries. Second, because social and value concepts play a fundamental role in the development process, we cannot separate technical development from the social situation, so we can benefit from the Chinese experience in many aspects. Perhaps we cannot benefit in the same way from many Western countries, and we tried and many countries in our region tried to benefit from Western experiences, but they failed. On the contrary, the results of experiments or imitation may have had adverse results for those countries.
The fifth question: In January of last year, Syria announced its joining the “Belt and Road” initiative. We know that Syria is one of the very important countries on the ancient Silk Road. What is your assessment of the importance of the initiative for global development?
President Assad:
We cannot separate the Belt and Road Initiative from the other initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, the Global Civilization Initiative, Global Development and Global Security, because there cannot be development without security, and there cannot be development and security if we do not preserve the civilizational and moral aspects and cultural relations between countries. Development cannot mean crushing the identity of another country. This is impossible. Therefore, I do not say that this initiative now is a Chinese initiative. I say that it has become a global initiative. It is necessary to search for institutions that carry out this aspect and interact with other institutions. All these initiatives with institutions form a network in order to turn into a reality application on a global level.
The sixth question: Syria was one of the richest and most stable countries in the Middle East, and there are Arabic poetic verses known to many Chinese that say: “If the paradise of eternity is on land, then it is Damascus, and there is no other country, or if it is in the sky, then it is on it,” but now, after more than ten years of war, Syria has not only suffered from war and economic stagnation, but it can be described as devastating, and the people have suffered many losses and shocks. How do you evaluate the current situation in Syria? The most important question is: Is the war over?
President Assad: No, the war is not over. We are still in the heart of the war now, but I want to say that Syria, as a geographical location throughout ancient history since the history books were written, is a corridor for invasions, and whenever an occupier comes, he destroys the cities. This is the history of Syria, but it was always rebuilt, certainly. The Syrian people are able to rebuild their country when the war stops and when the siege ends. The problem is the social effects that can appear. When you lose something materially, you rebuild it, but when you lose something intellectually and culturally, it disappears and does not return. Now our region faces two types of danger with this war: the danger of liberalism, Western modernity, which originated in America, and the danger of extremism, so societies are facing two bad points that appear as if they are two different points , but in fact they are one. What we are focusing on now is being able to preserve values first and belonging because values and belonging are what help us build our society or our homeland, when we lose these values, everyone will emigrate, and no one will be ready to defend his country, or do any work that serves society. This is the challenge.
The seventh question: Mr. President, does this mean that the biggest obstacle to resolving the Syrian issue for you is the interference of external forces?
President Assad: Yes, it is a major obstacle, and I have said several times before that if we remove this external interference, the Syrian problem, which seems complicated but is not, can be solved in a few months and not in years. This is true.
The eighth question: There is a serious problem of electrical power shortages in Syria, and the main reason for this problem is the lack of fuel. We know that Syria is very rich in oil and gas resources, and there are a large number of oil fields in the provinces of Hasakeh and Deir Ezzour. Is this problem directly related to the theft of oil by the American army?
President Assad:
It is true, that the northeastern region of Syria that is occupied by terrorists is the same one that the Americans “manage”, so the issue is not only theft, but rather the issue is a partnership with terrorists in sharing profits, and it is a second problem for a superpower to partner with terrorists. This is the reality of reality in Syria. Therefore, we are losing oil and wheat in those areas. We were a country that exported wheat. Now we have only a little wheat. We do not have electricity. How can there be life without electricity? Of course, we have much less than the minimum standard for life, but this is not enough.
The ninth question: As you mentioned that the war is not over yet, how do you evaluate the current situation in Syria?
President Assad: The current situation is definitely neither good nor bad. Let us be clear, it is a bad situation because the problem now for the Syrians is a livelihood problem. A livelihood problem with regard to the economic situation. I mean, the suffering is increasing, and the ability of the Syrian people, who have always had normal relations with various countries of the world, is able to exchange. They have trade, culture, science, and everything, and it is necessary. This is a necessary interaction for the country to remain prosperous. It is in a state of increasing strangulation by Western countries, but this does not mean that we cannot do something, and this is one of the titles of this visit. Here, the support of friendly countries is vital and essential. Not necessarily through aid, aid may be for humanitarian reasons.
The tenth question: You mentioned that rebuilding the country may be one of the biggest demands of the Syrian people now. What are your plans and aspirations for rebuilding?
President Assad:
If rebuilding takes place, Syria has a very great future. I am not speaking from hypotheses, hopes, or expectations. I am speaking from the situation before the war. Before the war, Syria’s growth was at its best, close to 7%, which is a very high percentage for a country with limited capabilities. We did not have debts. We used to take a loan and repay the loan directly. We had a sufficient quantity of wheat and we were exporting wheat to a number of countries. We were exporting vegetables and fruits, and we were developing our industries at the beginning of industrial development when the war began, so I can say with confidence that stopping the war and rebuilding Syria will make Syria much better than it was before the war.
Question eleven: I know that you studied medicine at university and also worked as an ophthalmologist. What “prescription” would you offer to deal with the difficulties that Syria may face in various aspects, such as reconstruction and development?
President Assad: Of course, we are now facing an internal challenge related to war and blockade, but we are facing an external challenge related to the global economic situation, the effects of Corona, the effects of the war in Ukraine. All of these things led to an increase in all prices, in addition to the increase in interest on the dollar, and thus also increased the difficulties for all countries. The basic recipe for such a situation is the transition, of course not only for Syria, for all countries, it is the transition from dealing in the dollar to other currencies, especially the Yuan.
Question 12: I think you also noticed the emergence of a “wave of reconciliation” in the Middle East, and in addition to Syria’s return to the Arab League, and with active Chinese mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the restoration of diplomatic relations, and we all know that the Middle East is one of the regions that suffer from the most complex security situation in the world. How do you evaluate China’s role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East?
President Assad: As for the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation, it was a very big and unexpected achievement, but it was a very nice surprise because this problem is four decades old in our region or a little more, and it represented the Western and specifically American model of creating several problems between several parties and then the United States blackmails these parties in order to achieve its own interests, and who pays the price? These countries and the region in which those countries live.
This initiative was more than just reconciliation between two parties. Let us say that two people who were enemies became friends. No, the issue is an issue of stability. This is an aspect. This aspect will reflect positively on all of us in the Middle East because this problem we paid the price for for several decades, and today we feel reassured about this point. On the other hand, when China announced this reconciliation, it meant that politics depends on action and not on words, speeches and propaganda in the empty Western way. There was real political action and achieved results.
Question thirteen: What is the importance of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi?
President Assad: We hope that China will continue to play an increasingly political role, as we see it constantly, because this political role is inseparable, as we said, from initiatives, including the Global Security Initiative, because they create stability. As for these initiatives, we see them as rules for the new world. I say that the era we live in now is an era of transition from an old world to a new world, and I do not mean the old world for several thousand years, but I am talking about the ancient world that began with the era of colonialism in the fifteenth century with the discovery of America. From that time until today, there have been six centuries of colonialism, killing, and plundering. What do these initiatives mean? It means that politics today in the world is no longer profit at the expense of others, it is no longer killing, it is no longer occupation, the politics or the new politics that we need has become a politics based on morals, a politics based on cooperation, a politics based on principles, a politics based on mutual profit, Therefore, I say that they are valid principles for a new world that will gradually replace the old world. This is how we see it.
Question fourteen: Your country has gone through life and death moments, and you have personally gone through many difficult moments, from the time you became president until today. What has been the greatest spiritual support for you along the way?
President Assad: The thing that makes you stand out the most – when the big, rich, or powerful countries of the world are against you – is only the people. If the people are not with you in such circumstances, no other party can give you this inspiration to continue fighting in the war when the war was military or fighting, when Today, the war is economic, but on the personal level, it is the cohesive family that adheres to its country and its determination to go through the circumstances, no matter how difficult these circumstances are. This is the most important reason or factor.
Question fifteen: When you were growing up, your father played the role of a “strict father” in educating his children. What effect did this environment have on you? Now, as a father, when dealing with your three children, what are your basic educational concepts?
President Assad: In general, Syrian society is an open-minded society, contrary to what some try to portray, as a result of history. When there are different civilizations in a place, a person must be open, and this environment is the environment of our family like any other Syrian family, but what is different is the relationship between me and my family. Or between my parents and between me and my children is the change in global circumstances. In the days of my parents and when I was young, there was no social media, there were not even satellite channels, and therefore the external influence on Syrian culture, thought, and national character was very limited. There were no risks. Today, it is exactly the opposite.
Question sixteen: I heard that your youngest son is learning Chinese, is this true?
President Assad: It is true that he learned Chinese at the beginning of the war, about seven or eight years ago, or a little more. Of course, he is well established in the Chinese language. Initially he did not delve into it much, but he chose this language without any influence. He wanted to learn about something that was very far from him, such as language and culture.
Question seventeen: Your trip to China is almost over, what is the biggest gain from this trip? How do you summarize this trip to China?
President Assad: In this visit, we invested in the great role that China has played over the past ten years with economic development, with political and development initiatives, and with the role of President Xi Jinping in order to reach a visit that I can say was very fruitful, and I believe that it was a truly and truly successful visit by all standards.
Announcer: Thank you very much for accepting our interview. We thank you for sharing your experiences, feelings, and especially your thoughts with us. We also hope that roses will bloom in all parts of Damascus as soon as possible so that peace will prevail in Syria. Thank you.
President Assad: Thank you for this important opportunity to address the Chinese people through your channel and through your program. I want to congratulate the Chinese people for everything they have achieved over the past decades and have proven that they are great people, not in words but indeed. We hope to see China achieve its ambitions at the national level and at the international level, which are the ambitions of most countries of the world today, thank you for this meeting.
K.Q