China may not be participating directly in military strikes against the Islamic State jihadist group but its hovering presence continues make an impact in other ways, according the Beijing-based Sina Military Network.
To date, China remains the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that has not engaged in combat operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
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China has so far maintained a detatched position on the Syrian crisis, but this has not stopped widespread speculation over whether the People’s Liberation Army will eventually get involved.
Both Washington and Moscow are said to be lobbying for Beijing to join their side of the anti-ISIS efforts. China’s president, Xi Jinping, recently met his American counterpart Barack Obama during his first state visit to the United States, while Russian president Vladimir Putin has been in close contact with the Chinese leadership throughout most of last month, including reportedly attending secret meetings in Beijing.
Despite these efforts, the Chinese foreign ministry has continued to shy away from committing to military involvement and maintains that a “political resolution” is the answer to ending the crisis.
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Apart from political involvement on the crisis in Syria, it appears that China may also soon begin influencing, albeit indirectly, the military strikes. On Oct. 10, Iraqi defense minister Khaled al-Obaidi arrived at Kut Airbase to see the launching of the Chinese CH-4B combat drone, which will likely be deployed shortly in the war against ISIS.
Full article: China hovers on the outskirts of Syria military action (Want China Times)
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