Expert: Government's misjudgment paved way for rebel advance in Syria

Syrian rebels announced in a televised statement early on Sunday that they had freed Damascus and overthrown President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year regime, adding that all prisoners had been released.

Since the end of November, the situation in Syria has escalated abruptly, with Syrian rebels advancing rapidly.

Li Zixin, assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, discussed several reasons behind these developments in an interview with China Media Group.

From the perspective of the Syrian government, Li explained that in recent years, the government misjudged the political landscape in Syria, believing it was unlikely that the rebel groups could completely change the current political order. As a result, the government reduced its investment in the military, including abolishing compulsory military service and cutting military spending.

Li also noted that Syria's stability relies heavily on the support of regional allies, particularly Hezbollah and Iran.

He further mentioned that the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, which has severely hampered Russia's ability to assist Syria, have contributed to the Syrian government's current struggle. Li pointed out that the Syrian government now faces the challenge of deploying large numbers of resources and troops to defend Damascus, making it difficult to launch an effective counterattack and reverse the situation on the battlefield.

Regarding the latest trilateral talks between Russia, Türkiye and Iran on Saturday, Li said the talks may only provide a framework for a future settlement of the Syrian crisis, as each of the three countries has its own concerns.