Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Syria
Relationship assessment
Close political ties, with Chinese support for Syria tempered by limited economic cooperation.
People's Republic of China toward Syria
+75China has supported the Syrian government diplomatically during the civil war, opposing externally imposed regime change and backing Syria’s sovereignty in international forums. China has also provided humanitarian assistance and supported postwar recovery, though large-scale reconstruction cooperation has been limited.
Syria toward People's Republic of China
+45Syria has backed China’s positions on Taiwan and non-interference and has expressed support for China’s sovereignty claims. Syrian authorities have pursued closer political and economic ties with Beijing, although the scale of practical cooperation is constrained.
Overall relationship
+60The relationship rests on sustained political alignment and Chinese diplomatic support for the Syrian government, alongside Syrian backing for core Chinese sovereignty positions. Humanitarian aid and recovery cooperation add practical ties, but conflict-related damage and sanctions have limited the depth of economic partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and Syria have maintained a close political relationship, including Chinese diplomatic support for the Syrian government during the civil war and opposition to externally imposed regime change. China has also provided humanitarian assistance and supported Syria’s reconstruction and postwar recovery. Syria has aligned with China on issues including Taiwan and the principle of non-interference, while the relationship’s economic cooperation has remained constrained by conflict and sanctions.
Key developments
China vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria, opposing sanctions and externally driven regime change.
China vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution that would have referred the Syrian situation to the International Criminal Court.
China and Syria announced a strategic partnership during Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to China.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Chinese investment and reconstruction projects in Syria remains unclear.
- The scale and implementation of bilateral economic and humanitarian cooperation are uncertain.