Syria's Top Diplomat Seeks to Strengthen Ties with China
On Monday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani stated that his government was open to establishing a "strategic partnership" with China, which has been a significant supporter of former leader Bashar al-Assad.
The foreign ministry issued a statement indicating that Shaibani had an encounter with the Chinese ambassador. United Nations , Fu Cong, was present at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where he was representing Syria during a session of the Security Council.
During the meeting with Beijing’s representative, Shaibani stated that Syria's newly formed government aims to “enhance ties with China” and mentioned that both nations “are set to collaborate in establishing a long-lasting strategic partnership in the coming period,” as per the official statement.
This wasn’t the initial high-level discussion between these two administrations since Islamist-backed factions ousted Assad in December, marking the end of years-long civil unrest. A similar encounter took place in late February when an interim president assumed office. Ahmed Al-Sharaa met with the Chinese ambassador to Damascus. .
In addition to Russia and Iran, China also supported the Assad regime, playing a crucial role particularly throughout the conflict that began in 2011.
Also on Monday, Islamic State stated that it eliminated five Kurdish combatants during an assault in Eastern Syria's Deir el-Zor region, as reported by the extremist organization's media outlet.
Farhad Shami, the spokesperson for Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, verified that five of their members lost their lives in the assault, which he characterized as “one of the most lethal” strikes targeting the organization in some time.
The city of Deir el-Zor fell under the control of the Islamic State in 2014; however, the Syrian Army reclaimed it in 2017.
For several years, the extremist organization enforced strict Islamic law over millions of individuals across Syria and Iraq.
In 2014, former ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a caliphate across roughly one-fourth of both Iraq and Syria. He was later eliminated during an operation conducted by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria in 2019 as the organization disintegrated.
Recently, it has been attempting a resurgence in the Middle East, the Western world, and Asia.
Meanwhile, Syrian armed group Jaish al-Islam said its leader was arrested upon arrival at Dubai airport several days ago as supporters gathered in Damascus to demand his release.
Since 2015, Issam Buwaydani has led Jaish al-Islam, a faction that battled against Assad and formerly held sway over the Eastern Ghouta region close to Damascus.
Following the announcement from Syria’s newly formed government dissolving militant organizations after Assad's defeat in December, Jaish al-Islam merged with the emerging Syrian military units. As a result, Buwaydani took up an official position within the defense ministry.
Two sources with knowledge of the situation informed Agence France-Presse that he was detained on Thursday at Dubai Airport as he attempted to depart. United Arab Emirates .
Seeking confidentiality due to the sensitivity of the issue, they mentioned that he arrived in the UAE using a Turkish passport.
"One of the sources stated that they were unaware of the reasons behind his detention," and added that Buwaydani was there on a personal trip to the Gulf nation.
The Syrian government has reached out to the Emirates," the source said, "but hasn’t gotten a reply yet.
Hamza Bayraqdar, the chief military spokesperson for Jaish al-Islam, posted an appeal on the messaging platform Telegram demanding "an immediate and unconditional release" of Buwaydani, referring to him as "a symbol of the Syrian revolution."
The UAE has not verified Buwaydani's detention.
Earlier this month, the Emirates welcomed Sharaa for his inaugural official visit to the nation.
Sharaa's Islamist organization, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), headed the alliance that expelled Assad on December 8.
Dozens of individuals convened at Damascus’ Umayyad Square on Monday to call for Buwaydani’s liberation, appealing to their authorities to take action regarding the situation.
"One of the demonstrators, Abu Khaled Nassif, stated that he was showing this to convey a message to both the UAE and the newly formed Syrian government, particularly targeting the foreign minister, urging for the liberation of the valiant leader Issam Buwaydani," he emphasized.
After the assassination of its founder, Zahran Alloush, in 2015, Buwaydani assumed leadership of Jaish al-Islam.
Activists hold Jaish al-Islam responsible for the abduction of four human rights advocates, including Syrian attorney and journalist Razan Zeitouneh, which occurred in December 2013.
After Assad's forces regained control of the Ghouta region, the group retreated to northwestern Syria and refuted these claims.
Following Assad’s ousting, Buwaydani has been seen alongside Sharaa multiple times.
Majdi Nema, once affiliated with Jaish al-Islam, is set to face trial in France this week over accusations of participating in war crimes in Syria from 2013 to 2016.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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