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China, Syria
Beijing and Damascus in gentle tug-of-war over Syria's Uighurs

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Reading time 5 min

Fu Cong, China's ambassador to the United Nations, in New York, 2 July 2026.
Fu Cong, China's ambassador to the United Nations, in New York, 2 July 2026. © Lev Radin/Sipa USA

Behind the rapid warming of ties between China and Syria lies a sensitive issue: the fate of 20,000 Uighurs who have settled in the country. While Beijing makes its investments conditional on limiting the community's rights, Damascus maintains a deliberate ambiguity.

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