Syria’s Assad to visit China tomorrow

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will visit China from tomorrow, his office said, his first trip to the allied country since before the Syrian civil war broke out more than 12 years ago.

China will be the third non-Arab country Assad visits since before the conflict, which has killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country's infrastructure and industry.

"In response to an official invitation" from Chinese President Xi Jinping, Assad and his wife "will visit China starting Thursday", the presidency said in a statement.

"The visit includes a number of meetings and events" in Beijing and Hangzhou, the statement said, adding Assad would be accompanied by "a political and economic delegation".

Newspaper Al-Watan said Assad was expected to attend opening of Asian Games on September 23.