🇺🇸 🇻🇪 The Biden administration’s decision to grant special status to Venezuelan migrants will have no greater impact than in New York City, where thousands of immigrants will soon be eligible to begin legally applying for work and eventually move out of taxpayer-funded shelters.

Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, cast the move as a badly needed reprieve, saying on Thursday that it could help some of the 60,000 migrants in city care move to independent housing more quickly. The policy could also help ensure that other Venezuelans never need the shelters.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/21/nyregion/venezuelans-migrants-work-nyc.html

https://archive.ph/uSIH8

🇺🇸 🇲🇽 Biden unveils his plan for the border crisis:

-Fast track processing at the US border
-Expand legal pathways for citizenship
-Increase the total number of refugees
-Send money to help sanctuary cities
-Speed up work-permits for illegals

📎 End Wokeness

🇺🇸 🇲🇽 Biden makes border history with highest illegal crossing attempts and paroles ever recorded in a month: 304,162

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/biden-august-border-record-illegal-crossing-attempts

🇨🇳🇸🇾
China says it still "firmly supports" Syrian regime

🇸🇾🇨🇳 Consolidating Beijing-Damascus ties as Syrian President visits China (Part I)

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is visiting China from September 21 for the first time since the start of the 12-year Syrian crisis, during which China has supported him. Assad is accompanied by a political and economic delegation to Beijing and Hangzhou for "a number of meetings and events," including the Asian Games opening ceremony in Hangzhou on September 23.

The timing of President Assad's visit coincides with a period of improved Sino-Syrian ties and growing political confidence. It shows that Syria and China are both eager to cooperate to advance friendly relations and support issues that touch their basic interests.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told President Assad in a 2021 phone call that China is willing to collaborate with Syria to promote human values and encourage communication across civilizations. Assad said Syria would back China on issues related to Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, human rights and the South China Sea. The conversation reflected better mutual understanding between the two sides.

Syria co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution that restored China's legitimate seat in the UN and was one of the first Arab nations to establish diplomatic relations with China. Since diplomatic ties began 67 years ago, China-Syria relations have survived world changes and strengthened bilateral friendship. Since then, solid bandaging has been practiced.

Bilateral relations have withstood the test of changes in the international situation, and the friendship between the two countries has grown stronger over these years. According to some observers of the Middle East, Bashar al-Assad's visit to China could aid Syria's rehabilitation and the sanctions-hit Arab economy. China has defended Syria's territorial integrity and many times used its veto power at the UN Security Council to prevent interventions in the Arab country's internal affairs. China is continuously aiding the Syrian people and government after the 2011 foreign-backed insurgency, especially in coping with illegal anti-Syria sanctions.

China has actively engaged in the Arab world as a friend and an economic partner. The cooperation with Astana Format countries will boost Syria's rebuilding. China has also contributed to the economic recovery of Iraq, with bilateral practical collaboration advancing the nation steadily. Additionally, it has a huge impact on Afghanistan's rebuilding efforts. These insights can be very useful in Syria. China ultimately plays a significant role in Syria's restoration. As an indication of its expanding influence in the region, Beijing helped broker an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this year.
Read more

@shams4news @sham_syrianews

🇸🇾🇨🇳 Consolidating Beijing-Damascus ties as Syrian President visits China (Part II)

Read Part I

Syria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on China-initiated Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2022 to rebuild after the conflict, demonstrating its political faith in China. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi informed Syria's then-Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who visited Beijing in 2019, that China "firmly supports Syria's economic reconstruction" and "combat terrorism." The BRI's trade, investment and infrastructure network along the Old Silk Road trade routes and beyond would assist in rebuilding Syria's weak infrastructure. Many countries profit from BRI.

By 2019, Chinese investment in Syria reached $135.7 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce. In 2019, bilateral commerce reached $1.3 billion, up 33 percent. The trade ties need to be further for win-win cooperation. Syria and China could meet to explore ways to improve trade and economic relations despite a difficult history. Syria needs closer relationships, especially with China, to revive its economy. Strengthening these commercial relations may help mitigate the nation's woes.

Syria needs assistance from the world to strengthen international trade partnerships. China, the world's second-largest economy, is a perfect partner. Damascus might benefit from a strong trade partnership with Beijing despite protracted war and economic sanctions.

Beyond economics, there is a need for interpersonal engagement between the two nations. Scholarships for professional training in Syria are becoming more prevalent in China.

Syrian professionals might learn about global best practices, new technology, and advanced education in China via training scholarships. These trained people might return to Syria with significant information and experience, helping the country thrive. Such programs demonstrate the many advantages of international relationships beyond trade. Syria-China ties represent optimism and resilience in global commerce and relations. China is welcoming Syria's re-rise, seeing possibilities in such cooperation. These two countries' efforts may demonstrate how international collaboration can boost economic growth and prosperity.

Chinese travelers may flock to Syria as the country looks to China for a possible tourist rebound. Syria essentially needs China's humanitarian assistance because China goes above and beyond geostrategic interests.

Syrian officials are excited about the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, this month. Syria's delegation is preparing for a historic participation in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, spreading love, peace, and friendly competition to Asia and the world. The participation is especially significant because it takes place in China, where Syria's government and people have deep ties. China was one of the first to provide help, which has boosted Syrians' motivation to participate in this sporting event.

This Chinese COVID-19 assistance helped the Syrian health sector cope with this worldwide epidemic by bolstering the Syrian people's immune systems and helping with vaccination efforts. China promptly offered emergency humanitarian help to Syria after a big earthquake devastated southern Turkey near the Syrian border. China has supported Syria in tough times, showing that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

President Assad praised China's support for Syria and participation in regional matters including the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement. Assad said this in April while meeting with the Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun.

China is friendlier and more trustworthy to all Middle Eastern nations. China has no regional adversaries, does not desire monopoly, does not limit cooperation with any nation, and does not take sides on regional matters. China as a natural member of the developing countries is always vocal in favor of Syria. Thus, China and Syria would stand together to deepen the bilateral partnership.

@shams4news @sham_syrianews

⚡️⚡️⚡️🇸🇾🇨🇳 Xi Jinping & Bashar Assad jointly announce China-Syria strategic partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday jointly announced the establishment of a China-Syria strategic partnership.

The two presidents met in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, ahead of the opening of the 19th Asian Games scheduled for Saturday.

Xi noted that the establishment of the strategic partnership will be an important milestone in the history of bilateral ties. China is willing to work with Syria to enrich their relationship and continuously advance the China-Syria strategic partnership, Xi said.

Xi emphasized that China will continue to work with Syria to firmly support each other on issues concerning the two sides' respective core interests and major concerns, safeguard the common interests of both countries and other developing countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.

China supports Syria in opposing foreign interference, rejecting unilateralism and bullying, and safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

China supports Syria in conducting reconstruction, enhancing counter-terrorism capacity building, and promoting a political settlement of the Syrian issue following the "Syrian-led, Syrian-owned" principle, Xi said.

China also supports Syria in improving its relations with other Arab countries and playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, he added.

China is willing to strengthen Belt and Road cooperation with Syria, increase the import of high-quality agricultural products from Syria, and jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative to make active contributions to regional and global peace and development.

Assad said that in international affairs, China has always aligned itself with international fairness and justice, and upheld international law and humanitarianism, playing an important and constructive role.

Syria highly appreciates and firmly supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and will actively participate in them, Assad added.

The Syrian side thanks the Chinese government for its invaluable support to the Syrian people, firmly opposes any act of interference in China's internal affairs, and is willing to be China's long-term and staunch friend and partner, he said.

Assad said Syria will take the establishment of the Syria-China strategic partnership as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral friendly cooperation and step up their communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in areas including Belt and Road cooperation, and economic and technological cooperation.

The two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of the strategic partnership.

@shams4news @sham_syrianews

#Nigeria 🇳🇬: #Biafra Liberation Army (#BLA) released a video of captured weapons after an ambush on Nigerian Army.

#Israeli 🇮🇱 Galil ACE 23, #Bulgarian 🇧🇬 Arsenal AR-M5T pattern rifle, #Belgian 🇧🇪 FN FAL / FAL Para, #Chinese 🇨🇳 Type 84-4 and Type 56 rifles can be seen.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1705567062263832679

🇨🇳🇹🇱
China and Eastern Timor affirm they have upgraded their diplomatic ties to a strategic level

#Sudan 🇸🇩: Rapid Support Forces (#RSF) captured a storage along with artillery rockets from Sudanese Forces.

The rockets appear to be ~122mm fin-stabilized short-range HE rockets.
Judging by the crates, these were produced & exported by #China 🇨🇳

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1705614708466749487

#Azerbaijan / #Armenia 🇦🇿🇦🇲: Azerbaijani Forces released videos of seized weapons and systems from Armenian Forces in #NagornoKarabakh.

Tor-M2KM surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, a 9K33 "Osa" SAM system, 9K338 Igla-S MANPADS and ORSIS T-5000M sniper rifle can be seen.

https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1705279993612222687