BEIJING: China said on Thursday that the visit by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad this week would take ties to a “new level”.
“We believe that President Bashar Al-Assad’s visit will further deepen mutual political trust and enhance cooperation in various domains between the two countries, pushing bilateral ties to a new level,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing.
President Assad arrived earlier in the day, on Thursday, in the city of Hangzhou in the eastern region of China, where he is scheduled to participate in the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday.
This marks President Assad’s second visit to China.
“China and Syria have a traditional and deep friendship,” Mao said, adding Syria has been among the earliest Arab countries to establish diplomatic relations with China.
She said, “Over the course of the 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Syria relations have consistently enjoyed robust and stable growth.”
She also said Assad’s “deep commitment to developing China-Syria relations”. “President Xi Jinping and other esteemed Chinese leaders look forward to engaging with him in meaningful discussions concerning our bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest,’ she further said.
