Just one day after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria on Dec. 8, Beijing said that it was following developments in the country closely and called for a "political solution" to restore stability. Assad fled to Moscow as the capital fell to rebel forces, bringing the 50-year dynastic rule of his family to a sudden end.

Mao Ning, spokesperson at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a Dec. 9 statement, "The future and destiny of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people, and we hope that all the relevant parties will find a political solution to restore stability and order as soon as possible." 

Following a swift two-week offensive, opposition forces headed by the militant group Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, took control of the Syrian capital as Syrian army forces retreated. Mohammed al-Bashir, a former head of the rebel administration in northwest Syria, became prime minister of a new transitional government with a mandate until March 2025. 

Pledging to protect their citizens and diplomatic mission, the rebel groups have reached out to Russia and China, requesting that they "support the will of the Syrian people in liberating their country."