Opinion | China can help Syria transform from conflict corridor to bridge of commerce

The thousands of political prisoners liberated from the infamous Saydnaya prison in Syria with the fall of Bashar al-Assad are grateful to see the dawn of 2025 alive and free.

But an uncertain future awaits millions in the ethnic and religious minorities – Christians, Kurds, Druze and Alawites – under the rule of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), despite its claimed moderation since breaking from al-Qaeda in 2016.

Millions of Syrian refugees, dispersed across the Middle East and Europe, cling to the hope of returning to a renewed homeland. But their war-ravaged country can barely provide the basic necessities for its residents. There are the formidable tasks of rebuilding infrastructure and revitalising the economy to be tackled before displaced Syrians can return to a better life.

Much will depend on whether Syria’s new government can shape an inclusive society attractive to foreign investors and its global diaspora. Equally important is whether regional and global powers can see beyond parochial interests to collaborate for regional prosperity.

In post-Assad Syria, Turkey has emerged a key winner, though its priority remains preventing Syria’s Kurdish groups from supporting separatist movements in Turkey. But Turkey alone cannot fill the void left by Iran in Syria.