Syrian Ambassador to China Mhd. Hasanein Khaddam  Photo: Courtesy of Khaddam

 
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has begun laying out the Party's grand vision for the future, and these roadmaps not only shed a light on how China thinks and plans its future to meet the aspirations of its people, but also forecast how the world could be, given China's gargantuan economy and its influence on the global economic, political, cultural, and social scenes, Syrian Ambassador to China Mhd. Hasanein Khaddam told the Global Times in a recent interview.

The congress and its agenda are being observed with great expectations by most of the world, especially developing countries, Khaddam stressed, noting that the Syrian people wish great success to the congress.

This congress is especially important, as a step to fulfilling the envisioned second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country. The unprecedented changes and challenges the world is undergoing add to its importance, the ambassador said.

"There is no doubt that the ongoing Chinese success story is impressive by all standards. The disciplinary process the CPC implemented at the individual and organizational levels gave a new impetus to its performance and in achieving results. Membership to the Party is not a privilege; on the contrary, it brings responsibility and cultivates conduct, honesty, and loyalty to the family, Party, and homeland," he noted.

Khaddam said that many policies promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping have attracted the attention of the whole world, which include building cultural confidence, focusing on scientific approaches in building the country, and preserving the environment and green ecology.

The ambassador also told the Global Times that Syria's Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party recently had a virtual session to learn from CPC's governance policies. "We observe with respect and wish to learn from China in all fields," said the ambassador.

Khaddam said that China's success is evident to the rest of the world, which was recently reinforced by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's Global Development Initiative (GDI), and Global Security Initiative (GSI) that build on the symbiosis of global development and stability. This is the new modality of win-win cooperation, with respect to other nations, that characterizes these Chinese initiatives.

"The BRI is a landmark in global economic history. If we look at the map of economically active regions 10 years ago, it was limited to certain geographies and demographics, with the rest of the world neglected. While now the whole world map is open to explore its potential for growth and development. Thanks to the creative leadership of President Xi and the BRI that he promoted, those untrodden paths and regions now prove capable of being productive," said Khaddam.

Syria, in January, joined the BRI, which will help Syria open broad horizons of cooperation with China and other countries, and "bring Chinese companies to Syria to participate in its reconstruction."

The ambassador believes that Syria-China cooperation can confront the challenges imposed by the US, and will surely contribute to regional and global peace, stability, and development.

The ambassador underlined that the list of benevolent actions exhibited by President Xi and presented to the world is long. China's generosity is also exemplified by the politically unmotivated aid extended by China to the rest of the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have saved the lives of millions. This is in stark contrast to some "self-proclaimed moralists who had pulled the bedcovers over their heads."

Syria received much-needed humanitarian assistance from China in its fight against the COVID-19 and also in other fields, for which the ambassador said they "feel deep gratitude."

Khaddam appreciates China for the constructive role it has played throughout the Syrian crisis, and for the much-needed generous humanitarian assistance that it extended to the Syrian people.

"Syria has been on the US target list for a long time, not because of enmity, but just for reasons related to balances in internal US politics. This is why the US and its Western allies schemed, fomented, and prolonged the war on Syria, first by sending terrorists from all over the world, while training, arming, and planning their attacks on Syrian civilians and government buildings, hence creating waves of displacement of people," said Khaddam.

Moreover, the Middle East has been subjected to centuries of humiliation at the hands of Western interference, with total disregard for the interests of the people of the region. This has, in fact, been because of Western policies implemented all over the world to maintain Western hegemony globally, according to the ambassador.

Cooperation between like-minded civilizations is imperative in the current international atmosphere. They should achieve fruitful results that would help all developing countries, he told the Global Times.

"We are looking for changes in the current world order that will give space to third-world countries to be heard and participate in global governance. All developing countries look to China for inspiration and expectation for a fairer world," he said.