Russia in Syria: Chinese J-15 fighter jets to join Russian air campaign against Isis?

By Johnlee Varghese
International Business Times

In a bid to strengthen the Russian air campaign, another Syrian ally — China — is now planning to deploy Shenyang J-15, a carrier-based fighter aircraft, in Syria.

Several reports have stated that Beijing has agreed to join the Russian air campaign. The development has come mere days afterChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a UN Security Council meeting that the world can no longer afford to stand by and look on with folded arms but must also not “arbitrarily interfere” in the Syrian crisis.

The Israeli military and intelligence news website DEBKAfile has now claimed that the Chinese are preparing to joinRussia. The Jerusalem-based news website noted that the “J-15 warplanes will take off from the Chinese Liaoning-CV-16 aircraftcarrier, which reached Syrian shores on 26 September.”

According to Infowars, the Russian and Chinese joint airstrikes plan to target CIA’s proxy jihadists, including the Isis in Syria. In recentweeks, the reports suggested that several Chinese military advisersare already in Syria.

It has also been reported that Russia has been able to negotiate with the Syrians to give them an exclusive access to some of the largest oil and gas fields in return of the Russian air force; however, there is no clarity as to why are the Chinese joining the air campaign.

While China also has stakes in Syria’s oil industry — where its state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation holds shares in two of Syria’s largest oil companies, another Chinese company Sinochem owns 50% share in Syrian oil fields.

However, only time will tell what deals China has been offered by the desperate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who now justs wants to save himself from being forced out of power.