BEIJING, : China’s foreign ministry on Monday urged “all relevant parties” in Syria to “find a political resolution” after Islamist-led rebels seized control of Damascus and ended the decades-long rule of Bashar al-Assad.

Beijing has strengthened ties with Syria in recent years, and Assad visited China last year in a rare state visit outside the Middle East since the civil war began in 2011.

Asked about his ouster on Monday, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry said Beijing was “closely watching developments in Syria”.

“We hope all relevant parties will proceed on the basis of the Syrian people’s fundamental interests and find a political resolution as soon as possible to restore stability in the country,” Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing.

Mao did not directly answer a question about whether China had been in contact with Assad, who has reportedly fled to Russia with his family.

During his 2023 visit to China, Assad and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a “strategic partnership” between their countries.

Beijing’s embassy in Damascus on Thursday advised Chinese citizens to leave Syria “as soon as possible” as the rebels swept through the country.

The foreign ministry on Sunday urged Syria’s new rulers to “take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel”.