According to Syrian state news agency SANA, Al-Shaibani and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi made a promise on Monday that they would work together to combat “terrorism” and address security issues. The top Syrian diplomat also promised that Damascus wouldn’t allow its territory to be used for any actions against Chinese interests.
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China, a former supporter of al-Assad, expressed hope that Syria would “effective measures” to fulfill its commitment, “thereby removing security barriers to the stable development of China-Syria relations,” according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Al-Shaibani’s agenda in Beijing was expected to include the fate of the Uighur fighters who had fled to Syria after the 2011 war broke out. Many of them had joined the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) with headquarters in Idlib province.
A source from Damascus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denied a report from AFP that claimed 400 fighters who had fled China’s persecution were being “brought back in batches” by an official from the country’s news agency.
In a brief statement to SANA, the source claimed that the “report regarding the Syrian government’s intention to hand over fighters to China is without justification.”
Al-Shaibani also endorsed the one China principle, which establishes formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan as the territory’s exclusive legal representative, during the meeting in Beijing.
Wang for his part claimed that China views Syria as its territory in the Golan Heights. In violation of international law, Israel annexed the territory in 1967 and initially occupied it.
Israel has expanded its occupation of southern Syria since al-Assad’s assassination in December 2024, including a buffer zone that was established under the terms of a 1974 ceasefire.
Damascus and Beijing expressed interest in boosting cooperation in Syria’s reconstruction, raising living standards, and highlighting the importance of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum as a framework for bilateral cooperation, according to SANA.
Al-Shaibani’s visit to China comes as Damascus attempts to rekindle its diplomatic ties around the world, with some remarkable accomplishments, including obtaining West-imposed sanctions and significant Gulf investments, giving the nation a desperately needed economic lifeline.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the president of Syria, made his first appearance to address the White House since it gained its independence in 1946. In addition to fighting ISIL (ISIS), Syria has joined an international coalition led by the US.
Al-Sharaa stated his intention to “restore and redefine ties” between Russia and Russia during a visit to Moscow in October.
After that meeting, however, no one was asked whether Moscow would hand over al-Assad, who had fled to Russia after his government collapsed as a result of an offensive led by armed opposition groups led by al-Sharaa.
Russia has maintained a presence on Syria’s coast through its air and naval bases since the al-Assad government’s collapse. Moscow, one of al-Assad’s main supporters, provided air support to the government during the conflict.
Source: Aljazeera
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