NNA -nbsp;Assadnbsp;is on his first official trip to China in almost two decades as he seeks financial support to rebuild his devastated country, as well as rehabilitation for his regime from years of isolation overnbsp;Syria#39;s civil war.nbsp;
He will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday.
Xinbsp;and Assad met in the eastern Chinese city on Friday afternoon, state media said.
quot;Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of thenbsp;China-Syria strategic partnership, which will become an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,quot; Xi told Assad, according to a readout from state broadcaster CCTV.
quot;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,quot; he added.
Relations between the two countries quot;have withstood the test of international changesquot;, Xi said.
quot;And the friendship between the two countries has been strengthened over time,quot; he added.
The leaders were each flanked by nine aides at a large rectangular wooden table, a CCTV video clip showed, as two flags from each country were set in front of a Chinese painting in the meeting room.–AFP
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