Red carpet, honor guard and flowers: Syria’s Assad receives lavish welcome in China

Assad will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first visit to China since 2004, potentially turning a page in Syria-China relations as Damascus seeks reconstruction help.
Assads arrive in China
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and first lady Asma al-Assad arrive in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Sept. 21, 2023. - Syrian Presidency
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Adam Lucente
@Adam_Lucente

President Bashar al-Assad landed in the technology hub of Hangzhou on Thursday for an official visit to China as Syria seeks greater political and bilateral cooperation with Beijing.

Assad and first lady Asma al-Assad were received at the airport in the eastern Chinese city by China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and other Chinese officials. They had flown on Air China, China’s national flag carrier.

A Chinese honor guard welcomed the Assads in a ceremony at the airport, during which a group of children danced waving China's flags, and presented the Syrian president and the first lady with flowers.

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