Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian photo: VCG

When asked whether the Chinese government would consider evacuating its citizens from Syria, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on Monday that China has taken note the changes in the security situation in Syria. 

Last week, the Syrian Defense Ministry reported that government forces engaged in gunfire with rebels who launched attacks in Aleppo and Idlib.

The Chinese embassy in Syria has issued a security alert and is closely monitoring the local situation, urging the local government to take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions, Lin said.

Lin called on Chinese citizens in Syria to strengthen their personal security precautions and to evacuate or move to relatively safe areas as soon as possible. In case of emergencies, Chinese citizens are advised to contact the embassy in a timely manner for assistance.

In response to a separate question at the press briefing that whether China has had any contact with the Assad government in response to recent events, Lin said China is deeply concerned about the situation in northwestern Syria and supports Syria's efforts to maintain national security and stability. 

As a friendly country to Syria, China is willing to make positive efforts to prevent the situation in Syria from further deteriorating, Lin said. 

According to the Xinhua News Agency, on Wednesday, a major rebel offensive rocked the western countryside of Aleppo, the first significant attack since 2016. The assault was carried out by a coalition of rebel groups, mainly the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaida-linked extremist organization, with the aim of penetrating government-held territories.

On Friday, the rebels swept into parts of Aleppo. On Saturday, they advanced in Hama province in central Syria and took control of numerous towns and villages in the northern part of the province, after capturing key territories in Aleppo and Idlib, the Xinhua report said.

Global Times