Alwaght- Beijing has a plan to enhance military cooperation with Damascus, a high-ranking Chinese military official said.
Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China's Central Military Commission, Guan Youfei, announced the development as he arrived in Damascus on Tuesday for talks with Syrian Defense Minister Fahad Jassim al-Freij.
“The Chinese and Syrian militaries traditionally have a friendly relationship, and the Chinese military is willing to keep strengthening exchanges and cooperation with the Syrian military,” he said.
Youfei also said the two sides had “reached a consensus” on the Chinese military providing humanitarian aid to Syrians, without elaborating.
The visit marks a new precedence, as China was previously reluctant to become involved in the Syrian conflict despite being a permanent UN Security Council member and relying on the West Asia for oil.
China has, meanwhile, been vocally backing Russia’s anti-terrorism efforts in Syria. Russia still has some of its forces in the country to provide humanitarian and military assistance to Syrian government.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
