Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks following a meeting with Syrian officials in 2019. (Fred Dufour – Pool/Getty Images)
TEL AVIV: A recent announcement of Chinese aid for Syria is setting off alarm bells in Israeli security circles.
During a July 20 ceremony held in Damascus, an announcement was made that Syria will receive advanced communications equipment from China. According to the official announcement, the aid “aims to improve local network infrastructure, especially in those areas hit hard during the Syrian crisis since 2011.”
Signed by Chinese Ambassador to Syria Feng Biao and Chairman of Syria’s Planning and International Cooperation Authority Fadi Salti Al-Khalil, the deal specifies that the equipment will be “delivered in two batches” to the Syrian Communications and Technology Ministry.
Relations between Israel and China are cordial, if somewhat strained in recent years by US pressure on Jerusalem to limit ties with Beijing. So on the face, having China in Syria is not in and of itself a major concern for Israel. But the economic or military improvements China could bring to Syria’s military is a reason for concern.
Israeli defense sources told Breaking Defense that the exact type of the communication systems to be supplied to Syria is not clear, but it is expected to be of a type that will fill current gaps in Syria’s military communications network.
And, the sources worry, this could be only the tip of the iceberg of Chinese assistance for Syria’s effort to rebuild its armed forces.
“We have indications that Chinese experts visited in recent months some Syrian military installations that were damaged heavily during the civil war,” one source said. “We believe that many [facilities] of the Syrian army will be rebuilt by the Chinese, who have the capability of bringing in thousands of workers to complete the work in the shortest time.”
That source also warned that the Chinese may try to sell the Syrians some of their defense systems, which could complicate Israeli operations in Syria. “The Russian-made systems used by the Syrians are almost useless dealing with advanced weapon systems like those used by Israel,” the source noted.
Analysts who talked with Breaking Defense agree that there are real reasons for concern in Israel over a greater Chinese investment in Syria.
“Any type of relations between a world power like China and a country that is one of Israel’s enemies is worrying,” said Danny Yatom, a former head of the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency. “The Chinese without any doubt will perform big programs in Syria, and Israel should make sure that this fact will not limit its freedom of action in Syria. Israel will not take any chance of hitting by mistake Chinese people that will be working in Syria as part of the reconstruction work.”
Yatom pointed out that what may look like commercial work in Syria could be a cover for military or intelligence efforts.
“The Chinese operations in many countries prove that there are always other aspects to what may look like a normal commercial action,” he said.
Mordechai Kedar, a senior expert on Middle East issues, believes China’s presence will complicate the already-chaotic efforts by Israeli to conduct efforts in Syria, predicting that “In the not-so-far future Israel will have to coordinate its attacks on Iranian-related targets in Syria not only with Russia but also with China.”
Kedar added that China is the only country that currently has the huge sums of money needed to reconstruct Syria.
“It’s a known Chinese policy to make big investments in countries that are facing economic problems. Through these investments, Beijing is getting control on the country that gets the Chinese money and that is exactly what is going to happen in Syria. The US and Israel should be aware of that.”
Galia Lavi, a senior researcher in the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), noted that “Beijing is showing the Syrians that they care about their future and may go even deeper into the huge reconstruction program of this ruined country.”
Why would China invest heavily in Syria?
Israeli defense sources contacted by Breaking Defense pointed out that China has been trying to establish a navy presence in the Mediterranean for years. Beijing at first cooperated with Russia in relation to this requested presence but according to Israeli defense sources in recent years Beijing has been seeking ways to be able to operate in the Mediterranean alone; having favors to call in with Damascus would seem the easiest way to gain access to the desired waters.
Another potential reason, identified in an in-depth report from the Operations and Policy Center is concerns over Chinese Uyghur fighters that have gone to Syria and who could potentially return home with combat experience and armaments to cause problems for the PRC.
But, as the report points out, there is also a longstanding relationship between Syria and China, prior to the civil war. The authors note that China helped supply Damascus with support for its ballistic missile program, as well as potentially having a role in the creation of Syria’s chemical weapons program.
“Beijing’s support of Damascus continued well after Bashar al-Assad rose to power in 2000. In 2002, China proposed building a production center for SCUD missiles in Syria; it continued to rank among the top five weapons suppliers to Syria between 2006-2008,” the report states, adding that since 2000, China sold $76 million worth of trackable arms to Syria — with more likely having moved under the radar.
And, the report adds, “Chinese military advisors are reportedly already in Syria to train their Syrian counterparts on a wide range of weapons purchased from China, including rocket launchers, machine guns, and sniper rifles. A regime source highlighted the increased Sino-Syrian cooperation in recent times by stating, ‘There are weapons and technical supplies … the Chinese Embassy’s security delegation has been expanded, suggesting preparations for a wider role, and a Chinese team of experts had arrived in Damascus’s military airport.’”
Breaking Defense reached out to the Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv, where a senior official refused to comment on questions related to Chinese–Syrian relations.
