HANGZHOU, Sept. 22 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province.

The Syrian president is in Hangzhou to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games scheduled for Saturday.

"Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of the China-Syria strategic partnership," Xi said, adding that it will be a milestone for bilateral ties.

Xi said China-Syria relations have stood the test of changes in the international situation, and their friendship has grown stronger.