Xi – Assad Summit. China To Help Syria Restore Economy
During the summit in Beijing with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised Syria “China’s broadest support in rebuilding its economy,” which was destroyed by the civil war that erupted in 2011. “In the current international situation, full of instability and uncertainty, China is ready to continue cooperation with Syria; both countries will help each other to uphold international justice, develop friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation,” said Xi Jinping, who previously promised Assad to help Syria cope with “foreign interference and unilateral harassment by the West.”
Therefore, China will develop its assistance in the reconstruction of Syria and will do this as part of the implementation of the global project “One Belt One Road” to restore the ancient Silk Road: “First of all, infrastructure initiatives along the ancient Silk Road will be strengthened,” emphasized Chinese President Xi Jinping.
By implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, China is “ready to make positive contributions to regional and global peace and development,” President Xi said, expressing support for Syria’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity,” as well as the country’s efforts to “fight terrorism” and search for a “political solution to the Syrian issue.”
For his part, Assad praised Beijing’s policies, “China has opened a successful path to Chinese-specific socialism,” noted the Syrian President, according to whom “China has always been on the side of fairness and international justice, law and fair international relations, and also has played an important and constructive role.” The heads of the two states signed the “Joint Declaration between the People’s Republic of China and the Syrian Arab Republic on the establishment of a strategic partnership” and were also present at the signing of several documents on cooperation in the implementation of the “One Belt One Road” project. A number of memorandums were signed with the purpose to stimulate the growth of trade and economic exchanges between the two countries and develop bilateral technological cooperation.
The One Belt One Road project, which provides for the construction of several intercontinental transport corridors between China, the West, and other strategic regions of the world, was initially welcomed by European countries with open arms. However, recently the enthusiasm has waned. On Saturday, September 23, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the extension of Italy’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, scheduled for 2024, will not take place.
In an interview with Taiwanese news agency CNA, Meloni called Italy’s previous decision to participate in the Chinese project a “big mistake.”
“If tomorrow morning I had to sign the extension of this memorandum (Italy-China on cooperation as part of the Economic Silk Road, March 2019 – ed.), I would hardly have political motives to do so,” said Meloni, adding that for her center-right government, “Taiwan will undoubtedly be the main issue for Italy.”
