FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Is China About To Enter the War in Syria?
Aug. 6, 2018 (EIRNS)—Sputnik News, citing the Arabic daily Al Watan of Syria, reported on Aug. 3 that Chinese Ambassador to Syria Qi Qianjin has suggested that Beijing could soon deploy forces to assist the Syrian Arab Army in its upcoming Idlib offensive, in addition to anti-terrorist operations in other parts of the country. Qi told Al Watan that China is monitoring the conflict and that the Chinese military “is willing to participate in some way alongside the Syrian Army that is fighting the terrorists in Idlib and in any other part of Syria.”
A source at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Sputnik reporter Suliman Mulhem he wasn’t aware of plans for China to militarily enter the war, but said the Syrian government “welcomed any support” in its ongoing drive to dislodge terrorists from Syria.
Sputnik attributes the Chinese interest in military operations in Syria to the thousands of Uyghur militants who have taken up residence in Idlib, but surmises that if the Chinese did deploy into Syria, it would mainly be in the form of a small number of special forces troops along with advisors working with Syrian government forces, as well as intelligence collaboration.
