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At the GOP debate earlier this week, Dr.

Carson said the following when asked about


the conflict in Syria: "We also must recognize that its a very complex place. You know,
the Chinese are there, as well as the Russians, and you have all kinds of factions
there."
As many members of the media clearly do not understand Dr. Carson's comment
properly and have not done the requisite homework to learn about China's presence
in Syria, we offer additional clarification here.
China has had longstanding and well-documented security ties to Syria, and has
provided various military weapons and equipment that Syria is using in the current
conflict. Dr. Carson does not believe China is currently fighting in or deploying troops
to Syria, and contrary to press reports, he has never made that assertion.
In the decades past, China has regularly sold missiles, missile technology and missile
components to Syria, despite U.S. objections. Additionally, between 2006 and
2010, China was one of Syria's top five suppliers of major conventional weapons.
China has also sold advanced radar to the Assad regime. Though the sale predates the
current Syrian conflict, experienced military analysts believe that China likely continues
to provide logistic and training support for these weapons.

Additionally, the Chinese advanced radar systems are fairly modern and can be safely
assumed to be linked to Syria's potent air defense network of radar and surface-to-air
missiles (SAMs). Such capabilities have allowed Syria to lock on to the fighters of
NATO ally Turkey, and there is even a report that Syria shot down a Turkish F-4 military
jet. (Attached is an article written by an air defense and strategic warfare expert
discussing the presence of advanced Chinese radar in Syria.)

Aside from advanced radars, China is involved in the Syrian civil war in other ways.
Chinese state-owned company NORINCO has been named by Human Rights Watch as
the manufacturer of the chlorine gas deployed by the Assad regime in its chemical
weapons attacks.
Furthermore, the Chinese press has reported that a Syrian Marine soldier posted
pictures on social media noting that Chinese military jeeps (of the Yongshi model) have
arrived to aid the Syrian war effort. (Google translation of the article is attached.)

While certain Western media sources have alleged that China will be joining Russia to
actively aid the Assad regime in the Syrian civil war, Dr. Carson has seen no evidence
of that. In fact, credible sources have confirmed to our campaign that
the Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, never transited through the region in recent
days despite press reports to the contrary.
Regardless, Dr. Carson's claim that China is exerting its influence and has a presence
in the ongoing Syrian conflict is well-supported by evidence, even if it is not evidence
commonly available to or easily accessible by journalists without the requisite language
skills or knowledge about Chinese military affairs. Even the American press, including
some that have (unfairly) criticized Dr. Carson's comment, has confirmed China's
military assistance to Syria by reporting that Syria is awash with weapons
from China and other countries.
We hope members of the media will conduct more thorough investigations in the future
before making incorrect and unfair allegations against the Carson campaign.

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