Editorial | China can reach out to Syria once world gets right message
Dramatic end of the Bashar al-Assad regime puts onus on victorious rebel group to bring stability to war-torn country
The Middle East is no stranger to uncertainty arising from conflict. The stunning collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, and the flight of its leader to asylum in Russia, has redefined it.
Islamic rebel forces took the capital Damascus in a lightning campaign and declared the end of the Assad regime. While that may end the civil war and domestic unrest, uncertainty grows.
Russia and also Iran – backer of Hezbollah militants in Lebanon who recently agreed a two-month ceasefire with Israel – have lost an important ally, which will do nothing for Moscow’s and Tehran’s influence in the region.
Their intervention in the war on Assad’s behalf made a difference. Russia now has strategic assets in Syria, including a naval facility on the northern edge of the seaport city of Tartus.
Assad is reported to have urged a peaceful transfer of power. Nonetheless, the foreign ministry in Beijing said its embassy in Damascus had been helping Chinese nationals leave Syria as well as offering guidance on their safety.
The ministry hopes for a return to stability soon. “We urge relevant parties in Syria to take firm measures to ensure the safety of Chinese organisations and personnel in Syria,” it said.
