All right, Alexander, let's talk about a triumphant trip from Assad and his wife to China.

This was a very, very successful trip, and I believe it's going to pave the way towards some overall,

a complete resolution in Syria. That's my feeling on this.

So what your thoughts on Assad's trip to China? I completely agree. And I mean, just get a sense of

how triumphant it was. He brought his wife with him. Now, she's an important figure in the Syrian system.

I mean, she's known to be a strong personality. She remained with him throughout the war,

even though she was very ill at one point apparently, but she remained with him throughout the wall.

And, you know, even whilst, you know, the jihadis were not that far from the presidential residence.

So, you know, she's a brave person.

But, you know, as is always the case when Arab leaders visit other Arab leaders, she was, you know, she stayed at home.

And she hasn't accompanied Assad on trips to places like Russia, for example. But this time she was able to come and notice that because she's, I presume, in Alaway, she doesn't wear, you know, head coverings.

Just, just mentioning these things.

So the fact that she came and that he went with her is a sign that it was both a triumph

and a moment to some extent of relaxation.

They've been straining to hold things together in Syria

all of these years. Now they feel they can go to a friendly country and they can relax there

and that this will be an easy and good trip for them. And it will be. And it's going to have important consequences and

implications because of course China is now becoming involved in the Middle East in a very, very big way.

It brokered the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It waited, I think, for that agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia

before it invited Assad to China. I think it was important for the Chinese, who have always had

very good relations with the Saudis, not to wait until

the issue with Saudi Arabia had been resolved, the issue of the rapprochement between Iran and

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