Opinion | What Syria’s post-war pivot to China tells us about the new world order
Damascus views engagement with Beijing as a pathway to legitimacy, leverage – and the US$216 billion it needs to rebuild
When Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa took the podium at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in September, it was more than a diplomatic debut; it was the first speech by a Syrian head of state in nearly 60 years.
Sharaa’s message was direct: Syria wants recognition, investment and the end of sanctions. But his overtures extended beyond the West.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has made clear that Syria views China as indispensable to its reconstruction
In recent months, Damascus has been looking towards Beijing, dispatching envoys and indicating a broader reorientation of its foreign policy towards the East. China’s strategy of “balanced vagueness” towards Syria suggests that engagement with the new leadership, dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once labelled a terrorist organisation, will be slow and driven by a careful weighing of risks and opportunities.