President Xi Jinping of China and Syrian President Bashar Assad met on Friday to establish a new "strategic partnership." This marks Assad's first official visit to China in nearly twenty years. He is seeking economic aid to rebuild his country and restore his government's reputation after years of isolation due to the Syrian civil war.

Xi and Assad met in the eastern Chinese city on Friday afternoon, state media said.

“Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of the China-Syria strategic partnership, which will become an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,” Xi told Assad, according to a readout from state broadcaster CCTV.

“Faced with an international situation full of instability and uncertainty, China is willing to continue to work together with Syria, firmly support each other, promote friendly cooperation, and jointly defend international fairness and justice,” he added.

Assad's visit to China is a critical move to bolster their relationship, given the ongoing civil war resulting in over 500,000 deaths, numerous displacements, and severe damage to the country's infrastructure and economy.

China’s foreign ministry has said his visit will take ties to a “new level.”

During his visit, President Assad will also attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday.