Balanced News: Syria’s Assad to visit China on Thursday

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will visit China from Thursday, marking his first trip to the country since the start of the Syrian civil war over 12 years ago. The visit comes in response to an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping and will include meetings and events in Beijing and Hangzhou. China has been a supporter of Syria at the UN Security Council and has provided international support to Damascus. The visit also comes after a China-brokered deal saw Saudi Arabia and Iran restore diplomatic relations, sparking increased Arab outreach to Assad.