Reports of Chinese Special Forces Being Deployed to Syria Uncorroborated

Earlier this week there were allegations that China would be deploying some special forces soldiers into Syria's Idlib region as a way to counter the growing strength of the Turkistan Islamic Party which had been recruiting ethnic Uyghurs out of China for a couple years now. I tried finding original sources for these claims. I found Veterans Today citing SouthFront which itself cited SputnikNews as the source. I cannot find any article on SputnikNews relating to these rumors. if someone could find it, please post it here for reference. In any case, Al-Masdar news is a regional news outlet focusing on Syria and they did some reaching out to the Syrian military for some answers.

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:45 P.M.) – Earlier this week, reports began to surface about the alleged deployment of the Chinese Special Forces to Syria.
According to the reports, the Chinese Special Forces were going to be deployed to Syria to help defeat the estimated 2,500 Uyghur separatists currently fighting near the Turkish border.

On Thursday, Al-Masdar reached out to a military source in Damascus to confirm whether or not these reports were accurate.
The source in Damascus stated that the Syrian Army has not received any information about the alleged deployment of Chinese troops to Syria.
He added that the Syrian Army has no reason to believe Chinese troops are deploying to Syria at this time.

There was also an article on zerohedge which only referred to 'sources' without citing them. They did however point to The Middle East Eye about an article they did last year claiming that China was already quietly sending troops to Syria for advise and training. AP reported on the visit of a Rear Adm. Guan Youfei in this regard.

Background on the TIP:

The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) or Turkistan Islamic Movement (TIM), formerly known as the East Turkestan Islamic Party (ETIP) and other names,[a] is an Islamic extremist separatist organization founded by Uyghur jihadists in western China. Its stated goals are to establish an independent state called "East Turkestan" in Xinjiang.[17] According to a Chinese report, published in 2002, between 1990 and 2001 the ETIM had committed over 200 acts of terrorism, resulting in at least 162 deaths and over 440 injuries.[18] Since the September 11 attacks, the group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union,[19] Kyrgyzstan,[20][21] (The Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party, Organization for Freeing Eastern Turkistan, and the Islamic Party of Turkistan were outlawed by Kyrgyzstan's Lenin District Court and its Supreme Court in November 2003.[22][23]) Kazakhstan,[24] Russia,[25] United Arab Emirates,[26][27] the United Kingdom,[28][29] China, and the United States.[30] Pakistan outlawed the group.[31] Its Syrian branch Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria is active in the Syrian Civil War.
The Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria (TIP) is the Syrian branch of the Turkistan Islamic Party, an armed Uyghur Salafist jihadist group with a presence in the Syrian Civil War. While the TIP has been active in Syria, the organization’s core leadership is based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with a presence in its home territory of China.[12] The Syrian branch of the Turkistan Islamic Party uses the Turkish Postal Service and Turkish banks to solicit donations via the organization "Türkistan İslam Derneği" through the website "Doğu Türkistan Bulenti".[13]
Syrian Churches have been demolished by Turkistan Islamic Party Uyghur fighters, who exalted in the acts of destruction, and in Homs and Idlib battlefields the Turkistan Islamic Party cooperated with Uzbek brigades and Jabhat al-Nusra, Jabhat al-Nusra and IS (ISIL) compete with each other to recruit Uyghur fighters.[73] In Jisr al-Shughur a Church's cross had a TIP flag placed on top of it after the end of the battle.[74] The Uzbek group Katibat al-Tawhid wal Jihad (Tavhid va Jihod katibasi) released a video featuring themselves and the Uyghur Turkistan Islamic Party attacking and desecrating Christian Churches in Jisr al-Shughur.[75][76] Jabhat al Nusra and Turkistan Islamic Party fighters were accused of displacing Christian residents of rural Jisr al-Shughour, and reportedly killed a Syrian Christian man along with his wife, accusing them of being Syrian government agents.[77] The Saudi news agency Al-Arabiya said that the area was Alawite.[78][79]

SO as of right now, there may be some kind of Chinese presence inside of Syria, officially only for weapons, logistics and intelligence training. However, assuming there was a plan to deploy a high number of troops to the Northwest conflict zone, they are positioned for it quite well since they have built a base in Djibouti, agreed to build drone factory for UCAV's in Saudi Arabia and are eyeing a future base in Pakistan where they are already a top arms supplier.

It would be really ironic if Syria becomes only the second nation in the world to host bases for three different imperial commands after Djibouti. Russians in Latakia, NATO in Rojava, and the Chinese in Irbil?? Perhaps the Kurds are not the only ones concerning Turkey. China themselves have accused Turkey of facilitating with ease Uyghurs passage to Syria conflict.

Ok, that's it for now in my latest beware of China updates.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

If you study history, Chinese military conquests are nothing compared to the United States.

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: worldstarcountry

If you study history, Chinese military conquests are nothing compared to the United States.

yea i remember wayy back in the warring states period they buried something like 400k+ surrendered soldiers alive but thats ancient history

a reply to: dfnj2015
My concerns are from the perspective of resource acquisition and market control as it relates to our hegemony in 2017. China has been staying quiet for years and building its force projection capacity. Well, they have begun to project that force and are establishing outposts around the world. That says to me they are itching for a confrontation.

Well, you cited your source quite clearly.

Veterans Today, you can toss that in the trash bin, along with the alien invasion and the reptiles.

a reply to: cenpuppie


I literally wrote that the claim is uncorroborated in the title, I also tried to trace back the chain of claims from one source to the next, ending with an uncited article from Sputnik that I cannot find. However, one thing is blatantly clear, the Chinese clearly have plans to maintain some kind of presence inside of Syria.

Even the AP agrees the Chinese are doing something in Syria.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: cenpuppie


I literally wrote that the claim is uncorroborated in the title,


Even the AP agrees the Chinese are doing something in Syria.

Yes, "uncorroborated" was in your title.

a reply to: TruthJava
The special forces being deployed in Irbil to combat the TIP is what is uncorroborated. The fact that there are in fact Chinese personnel in Syria has already been established by their government and military however.


Legs be honest here, the Chinese are not the most transparent when it comes to their military. For all we know, the claims are true and the Syrians are just doing their part to respect China's desire to be discreet in all they do.

I mean, both Russia and America went from denying there were ever boots on the ground, to disclosing that yes in fact they were. I don't think its really reaching that far to believe that the Chinese are doing the same.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Well, I thought it was an interesting post and I had not heard of the TIP. It would figure that if China has a terrorist organization on their doorstep recruiting Chinese citizens then they would want to nip it in the bud at the source.

I was first to star and flag this thread and was hoping for a decent discussion but alas. It seems that even though you researched everything you could and admitted that it's not corroborated, everyone still wants to come and in and have a quick dump on your thread.

Time will tell and I think you will prove to be correct in the end.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

This piece from Asia Times Online is from the 9th

Beijing is stepping up its security posture and considering surgical strikes. While some observers may cite China’s non-intervention policy as a constraint on its military involvement in Syria, as a recent Global Times article clarified, China’s non-interference policy “does not mean that it should stay on the sidelines when its interests are badly damaged by terrorism overseas” and recommended “direct attacks abroad, including surgical strikes by the Chinese military, should not be excluded when necessary.”

www.atimes.com...

There was another bit of a story about unknown aircraft that had did some bombing in the north. may be related maybe not .

a reply to: worldstarcountry

This blog post by MoA (Moon of Alabama) might be worth a read and as always the comment section is great with usually good links .

In come the Chinese. They are surely seeing a role for themselves in solving this conflict. They prepared the field even several weeks ago: Wu Sike, the Chinese special envoy to the Middle East, visited Syria recently and exchanged views with Syrian officials and opposition groups. China also received a Syrian opposition delegation on Feb. 6-9. Those meetings were followed this weekend by a visit of the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun in Syria where he did not only talk with Bashar Assad: Zhai also met with representatives of concerning opposition groups in Syria, namely Syrian National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, Popular Front for Change and Liberation and Syrian State Building Movement.
The representatives, who met Zhai respectively on Saturday, told the Chinese delegation that they value the important role that China has played in solving the Syrian issue, and is willing to maintain close communication with the Chinese side. They also introduced to the Chinese envoy their propositions in solving the Syrian issue and said that they are against violence and external intervention. It seems that Chinese foreign diplomats, who now suddenly appear on AlJazeerah, do not only speak better Arabic than the western ones but are also much more knowledgeable about who to talk to and how to find a compromise.

www.moonofalabama.org...

a reply to: worldstarcountry


Are You sure one of Drumpf's crack staff, no not Kelllyanne Conway and Her issues with "whiff" being put in charge of Opiates, but another member of the stellar squad, didn't see these:

en.wikipedia.org...

While She/He was visiting the region?

With things now, more or less, under control in Syria, it's a good time for China to jump in. I see this as a training exercise for Chinese troops more than anything else. We'll probably be seeing a lot more of this right up to the point when China becomes the aggressor. I give it less than 10 years where China will be the first to enter or create a conflict.

originally posted by: LogicalGraphitti
With things now, more or less, under control in Syria, it's a good time for China to jump in. I see this as a training exercise for Chinese troops more than anything else. We'll probably be seeing a lot more of this right up to the point when China becomes the aggressor. I give it less than 10 years where China will be the first to enter or create a conflict.

Syria still have to kick out the US who wont leave Syria. The US are still building bases and occupying parts of notheren Syria.

The be more fair to the Americans. It is not just the Americans who stay at these bases. UK are there, Norway, Germany, Holland are all there.

a reply to: spy66

Reading this new SF piece makes me wonder if the same play is also going on in Syria . If so then playing this game on multiple levels will create a lack of trust among the serious players . well worth a read southfront.org...

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
a reply to: spy66

Reading this new SF piece makes me wonder if the same play is also going on in Syria . If so then playing this game on multiple levels will create a lack of trust among the serious players . well worth a read southfront.org...

Not yet. Russia and Syria might feel it that way.

Right now only the hardcore SF are present, appart from FBI who are also present.

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: worldstarcountry

If you study history, Chinese military conquests are nothing compared to the United States.

Well it’s clear someone doesn’t know their history Indeed, do you actually think things through or research before you type or just jot down whatever comes to mind.

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

Well it’s clear someone doesn’t know their history Indeed, do you actually think things through or research before you type or just jot down whatever comes to mind.

The USA has been in an almost perpetual state of war since its creation. The same cannot be said about China who has pretty much stayed within its defines for a very long period of time.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask

originally posted by: dfnj2015
a reply to: worldstarcountry

If you study history, Chinese military conquests are nothing compared to the United States.

Well it’s clear someone doesn’t know their history Indeed, do you actually think things through or research before you type or just jot down whatever comes to mind.

LOL!

Hundreds of thousands of massive arrows come to mind.

Sounds good to me. If China want's to be a super power then let them do super power things, like send troops to the middle east. Why does it always have to be us? Why would anyone be upset about this? We're not colonial power anymore, right?