Opinion: What can China do for Syria's future?

Seven years on, the Syrian civil war has mushroomed into a destructive crisis that has drawn in multiple stakeholders.

The wrestle among world powers over the past 24 hours has further plunged the country into a spiral of uncertainty: French President Emmanuel Macron asserted that he had convinced his US counterpart Donald Trump to keep troops in Syria; the White House said Trump still wanted an early departure from the war-torn country; UK Prime Minister Theresa May said the UK could not wait for UN's approval in defending her decision to strike military facilities in Syria to her MPs. It looks like Syria will not be a land of peace any time soon. The chaos is set to go on and the casualties are expected to climb.

At a UN Security Council meeting on Saturday, only three countries – Russia, China and Bolivia – voted in favor of Moscow's draft resolution to denounce the US-led air strikes on military targets in Syria.

In the 15-member council gathering, nine voted against and the remaining four abstained. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that "the Cold War is back with a vengeance", and called on the member states to "show restraint."

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament's Parliamentary Recording Unit shows UK Prime Minister Theresa May making a statement following British participation in air strikes on Syria in the House of Commons in central London, April 16, 2018. /VCG Photo‍

With a slew of regional and world powers scrambling to shape the conflict, it seems the UN, as the top international organization, has gradually lost its authority and power of discourse over world peace and stability it has committed to.

The Syrian people, both besieged within the territory and displaced as refugees, still live in an abyss of misery. Damascus, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has become home to violence and death. Millions of civilians stranded in the capital city are seeing their life ruined and their futures blurred. The bloodiest battlefield of a proxy war, as many experts call it, will hardly see a rosy dawn.

Is Cold War II really here?

In reality, the current landscape has yet to develop fully into a Cold War. The Cold War in history started with then UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech and ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall. It had two foundations: Rivals boasted different ideologies and had military alliances competing against each other with traditional security threats. But at present, these two features are not yet to take shape, said Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences.

Although the US under President Donald Trump is going against multilateralism, the larger picture of economic globalization will not change.

"At least one-third of the European countries cannot refrain from trading with Russia, which makes it unlikely that Moscow will be isolated, also given its interactions with Beijing in a host of international affairs," Da told CGTN.

Even if there is a quasi-Cold War, it will not last long.

What's China's role in the unfolding Syrian crisis?

"China believes that political settlement is the only viable way out for the Syrian issue," Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said during a press briefing on Saturday.

Beijing has urged relevant parties to solve the Syrian issue through dialogue and negotiation, and support the role of the UN as the main channel for mediation. Russia has shown immense support for China's stance, with one of its state news agencies Sputnik putting Hua's remarks as a news headline.

China has already assigned a special envoy for Syria whose role is to help advance Beijing's backing for a political settlement to the conflict. The mechanism could pave the way for more peace-loving countries to appoint their own diplomats to help the country and region.

A Syrian man cycles past the Grand Mosque in Douma on the outskirts of Damascus, April 16, 2018. /VCG Photo

What more can China do?

China previously kept a low-profile presence in Syria, but as a major country, it should now send a stronger message for world peace and play a more proactive role in seeking solutions to the deadlock.

By joining efforts, Beijing and Moscow can work within the UN Security Council framework to prevent strikes similar to those conducted by the US, the UK and France without any solid evidence or authorization from becoming the norm.

Business cooperation could be another highlight. China is Syria’s largest trading partner and a major country in helping its infrastructure construction. Last year alone, over 30 Chinese companies visited the country for opportunities to engage in its rebuilding efforts.

"Moreover, Beijing should seek ways to help Syria under the mechanism of the UN Multidimensional Peacekeeping Operations," Da suggested. For instance, China has sent a large number of peacekeeping forces to south Lebanon over the years to ensure the fragile situation along the border with Israel doesn't flare up. A similar approach might be applicable to Syria.

With more civilians being displaced and some returning home, Syria is seeking donations worth 3.5 billion US dollars this year. In 2017, the UN was only able to deliver 1.7 billion US dollars as part of its humanitarian response plan for Syria. Given a staggering population of 13 million Syrians in need of aid, China can fill in the gap with more humanitarian assistance.

All the aforementioned measures are conducive to providing attention and help to those who really need them – the Syrian people. What civilians there need are peace and stability so they can rebuild their lives, many of which have been shattered from incessant warfare over the past half decade.

As multilateralism is the order of the day, all parties involved should come together to engage in constructive dialogue, for their interests and the welfare of their people are intertwined. Let us continue this trend toward global peace instead of reverting to the fear and hatred that characterize mankind's tribal instincts.

(CGTN)