Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad will pay a state visit to China on Thursday, his office announced.
The upcoming visit is the first trip by the Syrian president to China in more than 12 7ears, since the start of the civil war in the Arabic country.
China is the third country that will be visited by Al Assad since the crises in Syria after receiving an invitation from the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Syria's Presidency said in a statement: "In response to an official invitation" from Chinese President Xi Jinping, Assad and his wife "will visit China starting Thursday."
"The visit includes a number of meetings and events" in Beijing and Hangzhou, the statement added.
The Syrian Al-Watan highlighted that Al Assad is expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou on September 23.
China and Russia are considered among the biggest forces that support Al Assad internationally, and regionally.
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