Syria – China trade partners

Few people are more welcome in Damascus these days than Chinese businessmen packing large amounts of Chinese investment dollars. Syrian officials are working overtime to deepen economic relations with the emerging superpower and proposals for a joint Syrian-Chinese investment bank, a Chinese Industrial Zone, a Chinese Telecom Park — not to mention billion dollar oil deals — are all on the table. Syria’s new found interest in her far eastern neighbor is fuelling much talk of a new Silk Road. China has become Syria’s number one supplier. While figures from Syria’s Bureau of Statistics put the value of Syrian imports from China at $691 million, Syrian officials have said the real figure is more likely to be close to double that at around $1.2 billion. What is not in doubt is that China easily outstrips Syria’s other major suppliers Egypt ($553 million), South Korea ($441 million), Italy ($356 million), Turkey