"Syria is a small west Asian country. The ruling Ba'ath Party and some of its small allies
are the only parties allowed in that country".
(i) Do you think Syria is having some similarities with China’s political conditions. If yes, then
explain.
(ii) Can you call Syria as a democratic country? Justify.
Answers
In examining how China has pursued these aims during the eight-year Syrian conflict, this article makes several points: First, China, in its capacity as an emerging international conflict management actor, has in the case of Syria employed a flexible, non-directive and non-coercive approach that utilizes bilateral and multilateral channels, mediation diplomacy, and humanitarian assistance. Second, the fact that China has had very little impact on the conflict (with the notable exception of joining with Russia to thwart perceived Western efforts to oust the Assad regime) reflects its limited capacity but is also a function of a purposefully modest investment by Beijing in an instance where Chinese core interests are not directly engaged. Finally, China has held in reserve the vast economic power it can leverage, and does not appear to be rushing to make a large financial commitment to Syria’s postwar reconstruction.