The Chinese government has taken a decision to send troops in Syria to shore up support for the Assad regime and to support the government’s fight against Islamic terrorist group known as ISIL/ISIS (Islamic State). According to sources, the decision was partly taken due to government’s concern with the presence of Islamic militants in the East Turkestan region, who have been sighted aiding opposition groups in Syria.
The decision comes after last week’s meeting between Syrian Presidential Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who praised the regime’s efforts at tackling the fighters from the Islamic East Turkistan Movement. The Syrian regime has also claimed that some 5,000 fighters of Uyghur origin, an ethnic Muslim minority that Chinese authorities regularly accuse of terrorism, have arrived in Syria, illegally passing through Southeast Asia and Turkey.
However, this is not the first time Chinese troops were sent to shore up support for the Assad regime. in 2015 the Syrian government permitted some 5,000 soldiers to enter its territory as allied forces and stationed them in the Western region of Latakia.
Both Russia and China, who enjoy veto power at the United Nation’s Security Council have supported the Assad regime by blocking resolution proposed by the United States and its allies aiming to oust Assad. The support of the duo has given the Syrian government an upper hand in the battle against ISIS/ISIL.
In a press conference, when asked about the Chinese decision to deploy troops in Syria, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "The world cannot achieve peace without a peaceful Middle East. And the region is at a crucial stage - from counter-terrorism to peace, and from economic restructuring to social changes… As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has always paid attention to the peace, stability, and development of the Middle East".
