The trip by President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, his first to China since 2004, may bolster Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.
After 12 years of conflict, anger over growing economic hardships has boiled over. Protesters are demanding the ouster of the authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad and an end to the war.
In northwestern Syria, a devastating quake six months ago compounded the damage of years of civil war. U.S. lawmakers just visited for the first time in a decade.
Even as the fighting in Syria has largely stalled, more than a decade of conflict has left behind an array of unexploded munitions like cluster bombs. An earthquake in February heightened the risks.