President Bashar al-Assad stressed that China is a great power that plays a very important role in the world basing on partnership that is far from hegemony.
His Excellency delivering an interview to China Central Television (CCTV) said that China politically stood with Syria through its significant role in the UNSC and other international forums.
President al-Assad went on to say that it is natural to have a broader dialogue with China in light of the circumstances the world is going through and the harsh Western economic blockade that aims to starve the Syrian people.
President al-Assad highlighted that the Syrians are capable of rebuilding their country when the war stops and when the blockade be ended, indicating that our region faces the danger of modern Western liberalism that was originated in the USA and the danger of extremism.
19 Years ago we visited China, there are so large leaps that I can’t make a comparison between that time and now. At the time it was said that China was called the world’s merchandise factory, but today I can say that it is the factory of innovation and creativity, President al-Assad stated.
President al-Assad underscored that the most important thing that has not changed in China is culture. It is the belonging to the homeland, to society, to Chinese customs and traditions. This is the greatest success. Many countries can develop technologically, economically, and in various scientific fields, but few of them can maintain their identity, and the Chinese identity today is as crystal clear as it was twenty years ago.
When the Chinese audience in the stadium cheered for the entry of the Syrian team, this moment was enough to say that China and Syria, at the popular level, are close to each other. But specifically with regard to the opening itself, I want to say that the message that we received through the opening and through social media sites conveys the pride of great China along with the humility of Chinese people at the same time,President al-Assad recalled.
President al-Assad added that there must be joint projects and exchanging expertise between the two states in projects of an industrial economic nature. Firstly, because China’s conditions a few decades ago were similar to the circumstances of many Third World countries. Secondly, because social and value concepts play a fundamental role in the development process.
The Belt and Road Initiative is the most important implementation for the three Initiatives of Global Development, the Global Security and the Global Civilization, but it is necessary to search for institutions that carry out these aspects and interact with other institutions. All of these initiatives with institutions form a network in order to turn into reality at the world level,President al-Assad noted.
Regarding the the northeastern region of Syria, president al-Assad said ‘it is occupied by terrorists and Americans. So the issue is not only theft, but rather a partnership in sharing profits. It is a second problem for a superpower to partner with terrorists. This is the reality in Syria, so we in those areas lose oil and wheat. We were a country that exported wheat. Now we have only a little wheat and with electricity that is less than the minimum standard for life.
About reconstructing the country, his Excellency said ‘If rebuilding process takes place, Syria has a very great future. I am not speaking from hopes or expectations. I am speaking based on the situation before the war. Before the war, Syria’s growth was at its best, close to 7%, which is a very high percentage for a country whose capabilities are limited. We did not have debts. We were not a debtor country. We used to take a loan and repay it directly. We had a sufficient amount of wheat, we exported vegetables and fruits, and we were developing our industries. Therefore, I can say with full confidence that stopping the war and rebuilding Syria will make the country much better than it was before the war.
Talking about his visit to China, President al-Assad stated ‘we invested in the great role that China has played over the past ten years with economic development, with political and development initiatives, and with the role of President Xi Jinping in order to reach a visit that I can say is very fruitful, by all standards’.
Source: National News Agency-Lebanon