A “China Plan” would help, starting with consideration of the interests of the Syrians themselves, who have suffered mightily in the seemingly endless conflict. A solution imposed by outsiders won’t work.

President Trump’s recent decision to withdraw troops from Syria raised questions about the sustainability of America’s strategy in the Middle East, while China becomes increasingly engaged in the region. Ultimately, China-US competition in Syria will not benefit the conflict-ridden region.

The future Middle East order will be characterized by interactions among regional actors instead of external ones.

Just like the Iraqi war 15 years ago, the US-led air strikes on Syria is a typical unilateral military action without UN approval.

The US and Russia should stop their geopolitical game in Syria, respect its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and let the people of Syria choose their own path.

Even after the city’s anticipated retaking, jihadist ideas advocated by ISIS carry certain ideological appeal, which will not go away because of the group’s military defeat in the region or the deaths of its leaders. The chaotic environments of Iraq and Syria offer a rich seedbed for continued instability, recruiting and violence.

China's special envoy to Syria, Xie Xiaoyan, said on Sunday that the only way out for Syrians is through political settlement with peace negotiations.Speaking t

The apparent unilateral action in violation of international law by the U.S. sends an alarming signal to the international community. Whether this is just a one-off deal or it signals the Trump administration’s change of policy back to unilateralism, it brings unpredictable consequences to international peace and stability.

China and the US have different positions on the Syria situation, but they share many common interests too, including restoring peace and stability in the region, cracking down on extremists and rebuilding regional order and the balance of power in the Middle East. The countries differ over how to achieve these goals.

Either scenario is possible, depending on what investigators discover about who was really responsible for the gas attack. Whatever the outcome, big-power cooperation against terrorism has been weakened, and IS terrorists likely were the only ones who were actually cheering amid the explosions of Tomahawk cruise missiles.