Syria plans to do sanction-busting business with China, but will Beijing play along?
- President Bashar al-Assad has pledged to find ways around US sanctions for Chinese businesses as he seeks to rebuild the country
- While Beijing wants a stable Syria, its approach to the Middle East is cautious
Observers say Assad is courting Beijing for its economic and diplomatic clout, following the American withdrawal of troops from the region and Syria’s recovery of rebel-held territory.
“Today, we see that there is a superpower – China – trying to strengthen its influence in the world,” Assad said, adding that Syria was preparing for a strengthened relationship.
“This is what we see in the Silk Road: stability and prosperity,” he said. “There are mutual interests: it is beneficial to China, Syria and all the countries on this road,” he said, describing the project as a marked departure from a history of “Western attempts at domination”.
Western countries led by the US are hostile to the Syrian regime after a nearly decade-long civil war that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions fleeing the country.
US lawmakers are expected to pass a bill – with a provision known as the “Caesar Act” – on Tuesday that would impose heavier sanctions on the Syrian leadership as well as foreign companies doing business in the country.