China envoy, Syria FM meet as Uyghur militant concerns slow reconstruction ties
China and Syria remain at an impasse as Beijing remains wary of Uyghur militants’ integration into Syrian forces, while Syria, wary of alienating fighters who helped secure its recent military victories, seeks a compromise that won’t undermine the new government’s stability.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met Sunday with China’s ambassador to Syria, Shi Hongwei, in the latest of a series of high-level talks aimed at renegotiating bilateral ties amid Beijing’s growing concerns over the integration of Uyghur militants into Syria’s security forces — a major hurdle in their evolving partnership.
During the meeting, Shibani discussed with the Chinese ambassador “regional and international developments of mutual interest, as well as relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them in various fields,” according to Syrian state news agency SANA. Hongwei, according to SANA, emphasized the importance of continued coordination between the two sides.
Sunday’s meeting is the latest between the two countries, both of which are navigating a delicate relationship following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
In late March, Shibani hosted a Chinese delegation led by Hongwei in Damascus. According to SANA, Shibani “stressed the importance of strengthening relations” between Syria and China, while Hongwei “expressed his readiness to enhance cooperation.”
