Why Xinjiang casts a long shadow over China and Syria’s efforts to build better relations

China pledged to “actively consider” helping Syria with post-war reconstruction when its new foreign minister visited Beijing earlier this month. But analysts said the two sides needed to first overcome the major hurdle of militant groups linked to China’s Xinjiang region integrated into the Syrian armed forces. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on November 17 that the two sides should gradually resume exchanges, adding that Beijing would consider helping the country rebuild. He also urged the new Syrian transitional government, formed after the fall of Bashar al-Assad last year, to act against Uygur militant groups that had been linked to the fight against the Assad regime. Sun Degang, director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, pointed to Beijing’s much-needed role in rebuilding war-torn Syria. “Syria’s top priority is economic reconstruction, an area where China could play a significant role,” Sun said. “With a substantial funding shortfall, Damascus needs large-scale investment to rebuild, and its post-war reconstruction aligns closely with China’s Belt and Road Initiative,” he added, referring to Beijing’s transcontinental investment and infrastructure project. But that prospect is overshadowed by the presence in Syria’s armed forces of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which Beijing regards as the major separatist force in Xinjiang. Wang referred directly to the militant group during his meeting with Shaibani, who promised that Syria would not be a source of threats to China’s security, sovereignty or interests. The Xinjiang autonomous region is home to at least 10 million members of the Uygur ethnic community, most of whom are Muslim. China has repeatedly warned against the infiltration of extremist Islamic ideologies from abroad into Xinjiang, describing this as a key threat to regional stability and security. Beijing’s concerns over the influence of Xinjiang militants in Syria dates back to its civil war, when the Turkestan Islamic Party – widely seen as an ETIM offshoot – played a major role in the fight to overthrow Assad. “The most critical issue in bilateral ties lies in the presence of ETIM members within the Syrian government forces, as their incorporation touches directly on China’s core interest,” Sun said. Thousands of mainly Uygur fighters from Xinjiang reportedly fought against Assad alongside current President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda. Several members of the Islamist group now reportedly play leading roles in the country’s government or military. Beijing’s concerns prompted it to abstain from a UN Security Council resolution adopted earlier this month to remove Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from sanctions targeting members and supporters of Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Although the obstacle remains, Sun said: “For now, China appears largely satisfied with Syria’s assurances, suggesting that both sides are still working to steer the relationship in a constructive direction.” Fan Hongda, director of the China-Middle East Centre at Shaoxing University, said the new government in Damascus faced a challenge in managing the Xinjiang-linked elements in Syria while trying to improve relations with China. “The presence of ‘East Turkestan power’ elements inside Syria is something Beijing takes very seriously, and any mismanagement by Damascus could become a major obstacle to the development of China-Syria relations,” he said. According to Fan, the two sides are unlikely to try to deepen their relationship for the foreseeable future as they currently lack “the incentives and external conditions” needed to do so. Syria has denied a recent Agence France-Presse report that it intended to transfer 400 Uygur fighters to Beijing. China has not commented on the report. Just days after the meeting between the two foreign ministers, Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the United Nations, urged the Syrian transitional government to fulfil its obligations by combating all UN-designated terrorist groups, including the ETIM, and enforcing Security Council sanctions. “The recent effort to restart ties has been driven far more by short-term transactional pragmatism than by any strategic convergence,” said Jesse Marks, executive director of Rihla Research and Advisory, a Washington-based consultancy focused on the Middle East. “Clearly both sides see some value in the relationship and they have laid the baseline of political intent. But turning that into real economic or security cooperation will take sustained stability inside Syria and a much clearer risk-reward equation for Beijing.” Both Marks and Sun pointed to Syria’s relations with Russia and the US as another critical consideration. Last month, Sharaa travelled to Moscow, shaking hands with long-time Assad ally Vladimir Putin. He then made a landmark trip to Washington to meet President Donald Trump, the first time a Syrian leader had visited the United States. Both America and Russia have a military presence in the country, but China has denied any direct or indirect military involvement throughout the conflict. Sun said Syria had shifted away from Assad’s reliance on Moscow and was seeking a form of “great power balancing diplomacy”, including with China. According to Marks, the US was the top priority for Syria, at least in the short term. “So far, Syrian authorities have managed this balancing act more effectively than many expected. But their priorities remain unchanged: lifting sanctions and stabilising internal dynamics. “And in the near term, the United States remains the clearest partner capable of delivering movement on those fronts.”

Why Xinjiang casts a long shadow over China and Syria’s efforts to build better relations

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The new Syrian government needs help in rebuilding, but Beijing is deeply concerned about Uygur militant groups inside the country

The new Syrian government needs help in rebuilding, but Beijing is deeply concerned about Uygur militant groups inside the country