China’s Syria agenda
Senior researcher Luke Patey explores China’s Syria agenda as part of a DIIS initiative to understand the geopolitics of nonwestern intervention in Syria.
While Russia, the United States, the UK, and France are all active militarily in Syria, China has few direct interests in the conflict. Instead Beijing has often acted as Russia’s muted partner in the UN Security Council. Alongside Russia, China has vetoed western resolutions seeking to undermine the position of the Syrian government as a means to pushback against the growing use of military intervention by western powers in domestic conflicts.
Only Syria-linked terrorism (members of China’s Uyghur, Muslim community have joined the fighting) represents a potential threat that may draw Beijing into the conflict.