China’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday (October 14), that the country had no plans to send its military ships to Syria to fight with Russian forces already there, after reports in overseas media that it was planning to do so.
Chinese media has picked up Russian and Middle Eastern news reports that China would fight alongside Russia in Syria, and that China’s sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, could participate too. Chinese media has also described these reports as speculative nonsense.
“I can tell you that in terms of whether China’s vessels, for example the Liaoning, have gone to participate (in the war in Syria), as far as I know there are no such plans. Recently, the Liaoning aircraft carrier went to carry out technical tests and military drills, if you want clarification on whether China’s military forces have plans to take part in military activities in Syria, I suggest you directly contact the military and get clarification from them,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.
Russia last month began air strikes on targets in Syria in a dramatic escalation of foreign involvement in the civil war. This has been criticised by the West as an attempt to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, rather than its purported aim of attacking Islamic State.
The United States and its allies have also been carrying out air strikes in Syria against Islamic State, and have supported opposition groups fighting Assad.
The Liaoning is generally considered by military experts to be a training carrier, while China builds its own carriers and works out how to operate them.
China’s Defence Ministry said it had nothing to add to Hua’s comments. (Reuters)
