The Syrian transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met with a Chinese delegation headed by the Chinese Ambassador to Damascus, Shi Hongwei.

The Syrian presidency did not provide details about the meeting and the topics discussed, nor did the Chinese Foreign Ministry publish any specifics about the encounter as of the time of this report.

This communication marks the first between the new Syrian administration and representatives of the Chinese government following the fall of the Syrian regime on December 8, 2024.

China’s position on the former Syrian regime was similar to that of Russia, closely following it in most of its decisions, particularly in the Security Council regarding the veto that had usually been aligned with Russia in favor of the ousted regime.

The ousted regime’s leader, Bashar al-Assad, visited China after being invited by his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in September 2023.

China had remained supportive of the previous Syrian regime until its fall and continued to do so during the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation that began on November 27, 2024, which led to the regime’s collapse.

On December 5, 2024, as military operations were underway that toppled al-Assad’s rule, China urged its citizens in Syria to leave due to what it considered escalating security risks in the country.

On the day of the regime’s fall, December 8, 2024, China stated that it was following developments in Syria closely and expressed significant interest in the situation, hoping that stability would be restored to Syria as soon as possible, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

It mentioned that it urged the relevant parties in Syria to take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and individuals in the country, noting that, at present, the Chinese embassy in Syria was still functioning and continued to provide full assistance to Chinese citizens in need.

Following the regime’s fall, China’s position has been characterized by moderation and cautious support for the new Syrian administration, with Beijing announcing its support for the political process in Syria and assistance to the Syrian people on multiple occasions.

Syrian authorities continue to receive diplomatic delegations at various levels in Damascus, the latest being the reception of President al-Sharaa and al-Shibani for a high-level Cypriot delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos.

They also welcomed a Greek delegation led by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis on February 9 of this year.

Previously, on February 8, an Algerian delegation headed by Ahmad Attaf, Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited, and on February 6, a delegation from Slovenia visited Damascus, led by Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs.