Wen 丨 Nan
Editor丨Nan
preface
On September 21, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family attended the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and related activities, which showed us the deep feelings between the two countries.
But in fact, Syria also has a tragic history, such as the 2011 Syrian war, Syria as a fortress against the United States and Israel in the Middle East, the United States has always been at odds, and the United States has also blatantly intervened in the Syrian civil war. Since then, the grudge between the two sides has not been broken.
Although Syria's national strength is not strong, but tough anti-American he is in the forefront, this time Bashar opened China, does it mean that China will help Syria's anti-American struggle? In fact, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Syria has already begun.
Syria is always remembered
Syria, a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean and bordering the Middle East, has attracted much attention for its strategic location since ancient times.
The country is known because since 2011, news from Syria has dominated almost all news channels.
Understanding Syria's background, however, requires a review of its rich and complex history, as well as its unique place in geopolitics.
Syria, a small country with a population of only 22 million and a land area of 180,000 square kilometers, is located in the historic, varied and complex region of the Middle East.
However, its geographical location makes it a lot of attention. The Middle East has always been the focus of competition for great powers, and Syria's right location in the center of the region, close to the Mediterranean, makes its geostrategic position extremely important.
In ancient times, Syria was a state ruled by the Assyrian, Macedonian, and Roman empires. In the Middle Ages, the Arab Empire, the European Crusaders, and the Mamluk dynasty of Egypt all left traces of history in Syria.
However, the Ottoman Empire ruled the longest. The Ottoman Empire was once a vast and powerful state that had brought Syria under its rule.
However, the fortunes of the Ottoman Empire were reversed in World War I, when the empire disintegrated and Syria became a region entrusted by France, effectively becoming a quasi-colony.
During World War II, France surrendered to Germany, and Syria came under German control, and it was not until 1946 that British and French troops withdrew from Syria, allowing the country to become truly independent. However, Syria, located in the Middle East, has been a geopolitical focus, experiencing several political upheavals and external interference.
In the post-World War II period, under the influence of the Cold War, the Middle East became one of the main battlefields in the US-Soviet dispute. Syria will not escape the fate of being manipulated by imperialist forces.
Between 1949 and 1951, there were four military coups in Syria supported by the United States and Britain, and the political situation was turbulent. It was not until the 60s that the political situation in Syria began to stabilize.
In 1971, Hafez al-Assad was elected president of Syria and subsequently took power firmly into his own hands. Hafez al-Assad's reign lasted 30 years, during which he worked to stabilize Syria's political situation and enable the country to develop its economy relatively smoothly.
However, in the 80s of the last century, Syria's military intervention in Lebanon and the pursuit of Israel's military strategy led to a significant increase in defense spending.
Between 1990 and 1994, Syria's defence expenditure accounted for 54.5 per cent of total government spending, which had a serious impact on the country's economic development. Such a huge amount of military expenditure not only increases the financial burden on the country, but also makes the country heavily indebted.
This economic woes have sparked widespread discontent among Syrians and sowed the seeds of instability and instability.
Then, on 10 June 2000, Hafez Al-Assad was on a telephone conversation with Lebanese President Lahoud when he suddenly interrupted and his last words were about the desire for a better future.
The sudden death of Hafez al-Assad led his second son, Bashar al-Assad, to the throne in a hurry, inheriting his father's rule over Syria.
American ambitions
The Middle East's oil and gas resources do make some countries rich, but Syria is not one of the most oil-rich countries.
Nevertheless, Syria has a certain economic base in areas such as oil, tourism and agriculture, and is considered a middle-income country. Damascus, as the capital of Syria, attracts many tourists because of its long history and beautiful attractions
However, peace and tranquillity in Syria are often disrupted by external forces.
In 2003, the United States launched the Iraq War, which triggered upheaval in the Middle East. After the overthrow of the Iraqi regime, Syria felt threatened by the situation in its surroundings and felt a chill.
The Syrian government has maintained a hardline stance and has become one of the few anti-American, anti-Israeli regimes in the Middle East.
The 2008 global financial crisis had a significant impact on the Middle East. The region already faces multiple problems, such as authoritarian rule, government corruption, economic downturn and high unemployment.
The onset of the financial crisis exacerbated the Arab world's economic woes and paved the way for subsequent social unrest.
The trigger for social unrest in the Arab world was an incident in Tunisia in 2010 in which a vendor chose to self-immolate after being insulted by police.
The incident ignited anger among people around the Arab world, especially those who had long been dissatisfied with the status quo of government.
The United States and Western countries saw the opportunity and actively intervened in this social turmoil, trying to guide and manipulate the direction of the mass movement. When the wave of demonstrations reached Syria, the opposition began staging anti-government demonstrations calling for President Bashar al-Assad's ouster.
Although Bashar expressed his desire for a negotiated solution to the civil conflict, the opposition firmly rejected the demand and accepted financial support from the United States. Their main purpose is to overthrow Bashar, because the Bashar family has been in power in Syria for too long and should no longer monopolize the presidency.
During this period, Syria descended into chaos and instability, and the conflict between the government and the opposition escalated, eventually turning into a long civil war.
The United States and its allies played an important role in supporting the rebels, providing them with weapons and money that allowed the civil war to expand and perpetuate.
The forces of the Syrian civil war are indeed divided into two camps: pro-government and pro-opposition. Key countries supporting the Syrian government include Iran, Russia and China.
All these countries "do not confront" with the United States in international affairs. Iran has long had tense relations with the United States, Russia was a rival with the United States during the Cold War, and China has disagreed with the United States on some issues.
On the other hand, the countries that support the Syrian rebels mainly include Sunni Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Libya and Qatar, as well as non-Arab countries such as Turkey and Israel, as well as European and American countries such as the United States, Britain, France and Germany.
These countries have provided support in Syria's civil war, including military aid, arms supplies and political support.
Russia has played an important role in this complex regional conflict. The USSR was the main power in the Middle East during the "Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union", and its influence on the Middle East did not disappear even after the collapse of the USSR.
Russia inherited part of the Soviet Union's political legacy in the Middle East and maintained a high degree of attention to the situation in the Middle East. The United States is trying to maintain its hegemony by creating chaos in the Middle East, hoping to control oil resources in the region.
During the Iraq War, Russia, due to its own strength, could not play an important role in the Middle East, thus losing a fulcrum in the region.
But in the Syrian war, Russia realized that it could no longer back down. The Assad government, with the support of Russia, has gradually recaptured lost territory, and the situation in Syria has stabilized.
Russia's intervention has not only provided military support to the Syrian government, but also won the Syrian government the support of the international community diplomatically.
Russia's cooperation with Iran, China and other countries has also strengthened the position of the Syrian government on the international stage. This partnership has changed the balance of power in the Middle East, challenging the influence of countries like the United States in the region.
The damage of war
The war in Syria has brought great suffering to the Syrian people. By 2013, Syria's economic losses had reached $48.4 billion, equivalent to 81.7% of Syria's GDP in 2010. The war has almost turned Syria into ruins.
The war has led to extensive school damage, with 2,326 schools damaged to varying degrees by 2013. Hospitals in Syria have also suffered severe damage, as has the electricity, water and sanitation systems.
In addition, the war has resulted in large numbers of refugees. Syria has a population of only about 20 million, but the number of refugees exceeds 6 million, including 1.5 million children alone.
This series of devastation and disasters has had a tremendous impact on the social, economic and humanitarian situation in Syria. The international community has been working to provide assistance to help the Syrian people tide over the difficult times, but the impact of the war remains far-reaching.
In 2021, Bashar al-Assad was re-elected as president of Syria, beginning his fourth seven-year presidential term.
Although some rebels still exist in Syria, Syrian government forces have taken control of the situation in the country. The remaining task is post-war reconstruction, which will be a priority for the Assad government.
For this reason, Bashar al-Assad attended the Asian Games in Hangzhou, hosted by China, and many Chinese netizens expressed sympathy for the difficulties experienced by Syria. When the Syrian delegation attended the opening ceremony, Syria-related topics quickly went viral on Chinese social media.
Some netizens wrote in the comments: "Even in the ruins, look up at the starry sky" and "Please let the roses bloom in Damascus again". After feeling the enthusiastic support of the Chinese audience and reading these touching comments, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said: "China is great and humble."
The author's opinion
China has always advocated the peaceful settlement of international disputes and conflicts and promoted dialogue and cooperation among all parties through diplomatic channels.
The reconstruction of Syria is a complex task that requires the support and cooperation of the international community, and China's participation provides a positive impetus to this.
It is hoped that Syria and China can continue to strengthen bilateral relations in the future and carry out more pragmatic cooperation not only at the political level, but also in the economic, cultural and educational fields.
This will contribute to the reconstruction of Syria and the stability of the Middle East, as well as the common development and prosperity of the international community.
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