Beijing will train Syrian medical and nursing professional on its own territory in order to ease the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Photo: AFP 2016/ Aamir Qureshi
Chinese military will train the Syrian Armed Forces on the territory of the Asian country, Chinese state media reported, citing spokesman for the Chinese defense ministry, Wu Qian.
“The Chinese military will provide the Syrian side with medical and nursing professional training,” Wu Qian said at a regular briefing. He also noted that the training, intended “to ease the humanitarian crisis in Syria,” would take place in China.
According to Qian, medical equipment and medicines have already been provided to the Syrian authorities by Chinese military “to help reduce the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people.”
“For a long period of time, China and Syria have helped each other. And China has been pushing for a political solution of the Syrian conflict and we have always supported the independence of Syria,” he added.
In addition, last week, a meeting between Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij and senior Chinese military official Guan Youfei was held in Damascus. According to state media, during the talks, Youfei said that Beijing wants closer military ties with the Syrian government.
China is a longstanding backer of the Syrian Bashar Assad’s government. At the same time, the Asian country is close to Russia, carrying out air strikes on the areas of Aleppo, captured by terrorists, along with the Syrian Air Force.
After Youfei returned from Damascus, the authenticity of a heartbreaking video, showing a four-year-old boy, who allegedly was wounded during Russian air strike in the city of Aleppo, was questioned. Beijing suggested that the video could be faked as part of a Western “propaganda war.” The video attracted a worldwide attention and caused a diplomatic disagreement. However, the Russian Defense Ministry denied carrying out the attack, and reports of a possible link between a photographer, who took photos and video of the boy, and the Nour al Din al-Zinki terrorist group have appeared in media later.
While I respect the Chinese offer to help the Syrian government, as all medical help is appreciated, I am worried it may be too little , too late. A serious deployment of troops to counter the Saudi force of 7000 men , currently training in Jordan would send the correct message the the Wahhabi Sunni , Saudi royal family .