On May 31, 2021, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Bashar al-Assad on his re-election as president of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Xi Jinping pointed out in the message that China and Syria enjoy a traditional friendship, and Syria is one of the first Arab countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. I attach great importance to the development of China-Syria relations, and stand ready to work with President Bashar to take the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year as an opportunity to strive for greater achievements in China-Syria relations. China firmly supports Syria in safeguarding the national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and will provide as much assistance as its capacity allows for Syria in fighting the COVID-19, revitalizing the economy and improving the people's well-being, so as to continuously lift China-Syria cooperation to new heights.