 In 1993 and 1996, China was reported to be assisting Syrian ballistic missile programs.On October 19, 1999, Defence Minister of China, General Chi Haotian, met with Syrian Defence Minister Mustafa Tlass in Damascus, Syria, to discuss expanding military ties between Syria and China.In August 2016 Guan Youfei, Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China's Central Military Commission, stated that