In a historic step in trade cooperation between Syria and the People’s Republic of China, the port of Tartous received the first direct commercial ship from China on Sunday, October 26, 2025. The ship, the “Queen Vivian,” carried more than 16,000 tons of iron and various equipment (syria.tv).
The Syrian Future Movement welcomes this step, which contributes to strengthening Syria’s logistical infrastructure and opens new horizons for direct trade cooperation with international partners. This will reduce reliance on intermediaries, accelerate import and export activity, and contribute to stimulating the national economy.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that this ship holds a special strategic symbolism, demonstrating Syria’s ability to open direct trade routes that reflect part of its economic sovereignty and redirect the national economy toward sustainable development and the promotion of local industries.
Wise exploitation of these opportunities can support construction projects and manufacturing industries, create job opportunities for youth, and enhance the state’s ability to direct resources to serve citizens, especially vulnerable groups and marginalized areas.
On the political front, the Syrian Future Movement expresses its satisfaction with the positive signal this event represents for the balance of international influence. It demonstrates Syria’s ability to establish balanced partnerships with global powers without being beholden to any party, and it supports the Syrian state’s position as an active player in the regional and international economy.
From a strategic perspective, the Syrian Future Movement believes that developing the port of Tartous into an advanced regional logistics center is an important step toward building a future Syria—a strong, independent economy open to the world, without compromising the sovereignty of national decision-making.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes the need for all commercial initiatives to be accompanied by transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the benefits directly benefit the Syrian people and contribute to achieving social justice and balanced development.
The Syrian Future Movement also emphasizes the importance of utilizing international expertise selectively and intelligently, so that Syria benefits from technical and financial expertise without slipping into tutelage or imposing conditions that could undermine national decision-making sovereignty. This can be achieved through a clear negotiation strategy:
- Establish a specific national vision before any negotiation, defining the country’s priorities and red lines.
- Draft an economic discourse that links growth and efficiency, on the one hand, with social justice and citizen protection, on the other.
- Establish national negotiation teams comprising internal and external experts to present precise, professional proposals. The Syrian Future Movement can contribute to the creation of these teams.
- Deal with the World Bank or commercial partners on the basis of specific sectoral partnerships, with ongoing evaluation before moving to broader stages.
- Emphasize that any foreign investment or international loan must directly benefit the national economy and the weakest social classes.
The Syrian Future Movement views this event as a strategic opportunity to build a strong and sustainable Syrian economy based on national sovereignty, balancing openness to global markets and protecting citizens’ interests, and placing social justice at the heart of any future economic policies.
