In this exclusive interview with CMG's Zou Yun, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad pointed out that Syria is currently facing harsh economic realities. The people of Syria are starving as a result of the actions of Western countries, he said. When talking about China's unique path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, President Assad said, "There are many areas in which we can benefit from China's experience, but we cannot draw the same inspiration from the West." He further added, "We, as well as other countries in the region, once tried to learn from the Western development experience, but the attempts were unsuccessful and even counterproductive."