Al-Assad to visit China on June 21- 25

It was announced both in Damascus and Peking that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will visit China next week in the first visit of its kind, the Chinese foreign ministry said will be held on June 21 through 25.

The Syrian official news agency SANA said that al-Assad and his wife will pay a state visit to the People's Republic of China next week on an invitation from President Hu Jintao of China.

For its part, the Chinese foreign ministry said that the visit of its first kind to a Syrian President to China since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1956, will be held on June 21 to 25 at the invitation of President Jintao.

Trade flourishes between Syria and China to reach USD 520 million with less that USD 100 million before year 2000.