BEIJING, December 10. /TASS/. Syria faces the possibility of becoming a new hub for international terrorism, according to a Chinese international relations expert.
"As for the consequences, I think the most important thing is to ensure that the situation in Syria does not escalate to the point where it transforms into another hotbed of terrorism and extremism. Second, we need to make sure that the situation in Syria does not trigger a domino effect," said Zhu Yongbiao, Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the School of Politics and International Relations, Lanzhou University.
According to him, the fact that Bashar Assad has managed to remain in power until now "was, in fact, difficult to achieve." "We can say that both the internal tensions and the external pressure, including the opposition forces backed by foreign states, were overwhelming for Damascus and the Assad regime," he added. "This (Assad's departure - TASS) is not a particularly surprising result, considering that he faced relentless and serious conflicts from all sides," the expert pointed out.
Consequences for China
Zhu Yongbiao highlighted that China does not have significant interests in Syria that could be jeopardized by the unfolding events. According to him, Beijing's influence in the Middle East is limited because "traditionally, China's Middle East policy has been cautious and introverted." "China also has no fixed strategy or strategic goal in the Middle East, and unlike Iran and Russia, it has no defined interests in Syria," he emphasized.
"The current changes may have some negative impact on China, as it previously supported the Assad regime, viewing it as Syria's legitimate government. However, this impact won't be substantial," Zhu Yongbiao added.
The expert noted that events in Syria could affect China either directly or indirectly. "In the first case, it is linked to the formation of an armed group similar to the Syrian branch of the Turkistan Islamic Party (banned in Russia - TASS)," Zhu Yongbiao said. "Such a group may capitalize on the chaos to strengthen its position in China, posing a potential threat to our national security," he pointed out.
Regarding indirect effects, the senior expert stated that if extremist and terrorist organizations exploit the situation in Syria to expand, "whether they act directly or indirectly against China," it could undermine the Belt and Road Initiative. "However, I think these potential risks should not be overestimated," he concluded.
On November 27, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against government forces in Aleppo and Idlib Governorates. By the evening of December 7, opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad had captured several major cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Deraa, and Homs. They entered Damascus on December 8, prompting Syrian army units to withdraw from the city. The head of the Syrian government, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, expressed his readiness for a peaceful transfer of power in the country. Assad stepped down and fled after intra-Syrian talks.