The President of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, announced that his government proposed six projects related to China’s Silk Road initiative.
“We proposed six projects for the Chinese government that are commensurate with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). We expect the Chinese government to choose one or more of the six projects that are consistent with the BRI,” al-Assad said in an interview with China’s Phoenix Television made today, 16 December.
Al-Assad added that while the Silk Road is not passing through Syria for now, but that the dialogue was initiated with the Chinese government on how Syria can part of it.
Al-Assad also talked about developing the infrastructure for the passage of the Silk Road in Syria in the future.
As to the security situation in Syria, the al-Assad claimed that Syria is secure enough. Thus, the New Silk Road can go through Syria and hence the new dialogue with the Chinese government.
The Silk Road is a vast trade network of interconnected sea and land trade routes, which were crossed by ships and caravans between China and Europe to trade silk, spices and perfumes.
The length of the route is approximately 12,000 km. The land Silk Road stretches from China through Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkey, Russia and up to Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
On the other hand, the maritime Silk Road extends from China to Vietnam, Malaysia and India. There, it passes through Sri Lanka and Kenya, reaching Greece and Italy.
The initiative would give China military, political and economic hegemony worldwide.
Syrian official media outlets have been promoting the new Silk Road for years. They have also linked it to the importance of Syria in the ancient route, which used to pass through the Syrian city of Palmyra.
The Syrian regime government also participated in the international conference on Belt and Road Initiative in the Chinese capital, Beijing, on 25 April, in which Buthaina Shaaban, advisor to Al-Assad, confirmed that this project comes to confront Western hegemony.
The Silk Road