China signs deal with Sryia to build Oil Refinery there

[Bill]

It's in eastern syria, so presumably to process Iraqi oil for China.

So, more Yuan for Syria, and China once again ignores US strategic interests, because we are no longer relevant to the middle east.

We're not building any new refineries, while china builds more and more. This is a new one, in addition to deals china signed recently for Iranian oil refineries and Saudi oil refineries.

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/04/03/afx4850313.html

DAMASCUS (Thomson Financial) - China has signed a deal with Syria to build an oil refinery in the Arab country as part of plans to bolster cooperation in the oil and gas industry, the official SANA news agency reported on Thursday.

The refinery will have a daily refining capacity of 100,000 barrels of crude oil and is due to be completed by 2011, the agency said, adding that it will be built in the Abu Khashab region of the eastern oil hub of Deir Ezzor.

The deal was signed on Wednesday alongside an agreement by China to provide Syria with 20 million yuan ($3 million) to finance a series of joint projects in oil, telecommunication and agriculture.

The two countries also signed a framework agreement to bolster oil and gas cooperation between Syria and China, including oil exploration, SANA said.

The agreements were signed by representatives of the China National Petroleum Corp and Syrian oil ministry officials on the sidelines of a visit to Damascus by a Chinese communist party delegation, the agency added.

In July, Chinese state media reported that Beijing was planning a series of oil-related projects in Syria, including a $1 billion oil refinery.

[Smurf-Herder]

Bill, our old Cold War adversaries are positioning themselves.

A China base in Iran?
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JA29Ak03.html

"In the aftermath of President George W Bush's recent tour of the Persian Gulf, coinciding with a similar trip by France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, culminating in a deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a small French base, Iran's security calculus has changed. It has almost reached the point of Tehran considering the option of reciprocating the perceived excess Western intrusion into its vicinity by allowing a military base for China at one of Iran's Persian Gulf ports or on one of its islands."

Russia may relocate Black Sea Fleet to Syrian port
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2006/russia-060602-rianovosti01.htm

"MOSCOW, June 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has started dredging at a Syrian port where it maintains a logistical supply point with a possible eye to turning it into a full-fledged naval base, a respected Russian business daily said Friday.

Tartus, the second most important Syrian port on the Mediterranean, could be transformed into a base for Black Sea Fleet warships when they are redeployed from the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol, Kommersant daily said, quoting sources in Russia's diplomatic service and the Defense Ministry."

[Moby]

Chinese military in Iran and Russian military in Syria. The good news just keeps coming.

It's amazing how in just a few years we've pumped so much money into China and allowed them to buy so much of our debt that they can now pretty much ignore our wishes.