Syria and China … 67 years of increasingly solid friendship relations

Over the decades, Syria and China have established long-standing relations of friendship based on a long legacy of common ties and principles relating to the enshrinement of right, justice, and balance in international relations, support for the just causes of peoples, and the requirements of security, stability, and development.

Trade exchange between the two countries began hundreds of years ago, as the ancient Silk Road reached Damascus and Palmyra, while the two countries established diplomatic relations, which were officially announced on the first of August 1956, and the first Chinese ambassador arrived in Damascus in October 1957, while the Syrian embassy in Beijing began its work in November of the same year.

Syria is one of the first Arab States to establish diplomatic relations with China and is one of the countries to put forward the draft resolution to restore China’s legitimate seat in the United Nations. Over the 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, their bilateral relations have withstood the tests of changes in the international situation and the friendship between them has grown stronger over time because of their adherence to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states and their rejection of hegemony and power policies.

The visit of President Bashar al-Assad to China in 2004 added a new positive impetus to the strengthening of bilateral relations in line with the strong ties between the two countries and the aspirations of the two peoples, as it was successful at all levels, as President al-Assad and Chinese President Hu Jintao discussed the bilateral, regional and international relations, and stressed their adherence to international efforts to combat terrorism and the need to address the problem in all its aspects.

During the visit, a number of agreements were signed in the fields of oil and gas, irrigation, water, agriculture, tourism, industrial and health cooperation, higher education, scientific research and the Prevention of double taxation. The two sides also agreed to establish a joint Syrian-Chinese businessmen Council, which contributed to achieving a significant increase in the value of trade transactions and an expansion in aspects of joint cooperation at various political, economic and technological levels.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 67 years ago, Syrian-Chinese cooperation has witnessed continuous growth in various fields, as China supported Syria during the terrorist war imposed on it, had a principled position towards a political solution and rejection of foreign interference in its internal affairs, and used the “veto” eight times in the UN Security Council since the beginning of the crisis in 2011 to thwart Western draft resolutions that violate Syria’s sovereignty, stressing that the Syrian people are the ones who decide the future of their country as well as its continued support for Syria’s right to regain the occupied Golan.

On the other hand, Syria affirmed its support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China, and its rejection of the provocative policies practiced by the United States against it, stressing that it recognizes only one China and absolutely supports Beijing’s principled positions in the face of attempts of external interference in its internal affairs, whether in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Xinjiang.

The relations of the two countries were marked by the achievement of mutual benefit, in this context, Syria’s orientation towards the East is in line with the Chinese “Belt and Road” Initiative put forward by the Chinese President in 2013, which Syria officially joined in early 2022.China also emphasizes the importance of participating in the reconstruction of what was destroyed by terrorism in Syria without preconditions and stresses the importance of strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Within the framework of its continuous support to Syria in the face of the terrorist war and unilateral Western coercive measures, China has provided Syria with a lot in the field of transportation and in the humanitarian and relief field, including vaccines during the corona pandemic, clothing, tents, medicines, food, prefabricated housing units and other urgent rescue materials after the devastating earthquake that hit several provinces last February, in addition to Beijing’s constant condemnation of the theft of Syrian oil by the United States, which contributed to the aggravation of the humanitarian crisis in Syria and its demand to hold Washington accountable in international forums.

In the context of bilateral cooperation, the two countries have signed dozens of documents ranging from an agreement to a memorandum of understanding and an executive program, which covered many areas of mutual interest, including Trade and Technical Cooperation, Alternative Energy, Investment Promotion and protection, Export Development and Promotion, Heritage Protection and Preservation of Antiquities. There are many measures taken to develop economic relations between the two countries in the commercial, investment and financial fields, within the framework of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, through grants, loans, capacity-building and humanitarian assistance.

Amal Farhat