This marks President Assad’s first official visit to China in nearly two decades, a trip aimed at securing financial support for the reconstruction of war-torn Syria.

The meeting took place in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, with Chinese state media confirming the event. President Assad is also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday.

“Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of the China-Syria strategic partnership, which will become an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,” President Xi stated during the meeting.

He further emphasized China’s commitment to working with Syria, supporting each other, promoting friendly cooperation, and jointly defending international fairness and justice.

Analysts predict that a significant focus of President Assad’s visit will be discussions around financing Syria’s reconstruction efforts.