">The establishment of China-Syria strategic partnership will be a significant milestone in the history of China-Syria relations where the two sides build on the past and usher in the future. pic.twitter.com/B4N84cAfNz
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) September 22, 2023
The last time he visited China was in 2004, to meet then-President Hu Jintao.
This is his first visit to China since the Syrian civil war broke out more than 12 years ago. During the war, Syria had a relatively low level of international engagement, but in recent years that has started to change.
Assad is accompanied on the visit by first lady Asma al-Assad. The Syrian delegation will also visit the capital Beijing.