Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in the east Chinese city of Hangzhou, kicking off his first visit to the Asian country since 2004 as he makes further strides to end over a decade of diplomatic isolation amid Western sanctions.
Assad arrived aboard an Air China plane amid heavy fog, which Chinese state media said “added to the atmosphere of mystery” in a nod to the fact the Syrian leader has seldom been seen since the start of a war that has claimed over half a million lives.
Assad is due to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games along with more than a dozen foreign dignitaries, the foreign ministry announced earlier.
In a statement on Tuesday, Assad’s presidential office said he would lead a senior delegation for a series of meetings in several Chinese cities, including a summit with President Xi Jinping.
Assad last visited China in 2004 to meet then-President Hu Jintao. It was the first visit by a Syrian head of state to China since the countries established diplomatic ties in 1956.
China – like Syria’s main allies Russia and Iran – maintained those ties even as other countries isolated Assad over the war.
An Iranian climber has succeeded in climbing Lhotse Peak, the fourth highest peak in the…
A wildlife enthusiast has captured images of the playfulness and wrestling of two brown bears…
The chief of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency, Ronen Bar, has admitted failure to…
The number of Palestinians who were forced to leave Rafah in southern Gaza Strip due…
Fifty percent of Americans believe that their government is spending excessive amounts of money on…
Former Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, in an open letter to the people in Iran, has…