Over the past few months, China has repeatedly accused the U.S. of "illegally stealing" oil from Syria in an act of "banditry."
Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) found that the accusations echo those made by official Syrian media reports. The Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad has no control over the northeast area of the country, which is occupied by the anti-government coalition known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). U.S. and international media have reported that a U.S. company had secured an oil deal in the area, but it did so with the approval of the SDF, which helped to oust ISIS terrorist forces that previously controlled the oil production there. The U.S. currently authorizes non-governmental organizations to purchase petroleum in Syria, but the products have to stay in Syria for non-profit use.
In Depth
“The illegal plundering of natural resources in Syria by foreign troops must stop immediately,”
Dai Bing, China’s ambassador to the U.N., said during the U.N. Security Council briefing on Syria, according to
a Jan. 26 report by Chinese state media Global Times. The article said that U.S. troops have been “slammed” for “stealing” oil from Syria.
China has repeatedly accused the U.S. of taking Syria’s oil in recent months. At a Jan. 17 press conference for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a China Central Television (CCTV) reporter quoted Syrian state news reports that the “illegal” U.S. garrison in the country had smuggled 53 tankers of oil from the northeast province of al-Hasakah into northern Iraq.
Foreign Ministry "….spokesperson Wang Wenbin has described the actions as ……"illegal looting" and "banditry" and said that the U.S. is exacerbating the humanitarian disaster in Syria…………"………………Before one accuses the United States of something we should check the facts sometimes we have Beven told a shall I see an erronous set of facts and should take them with a grain of salt seeing how they come from Chinese media sources which might have their own agenda to look after…