Did a Chinese tabloid publish a front-page story about Bashar al-Assad’s fall?
Verdict: False
A photo of what appears to be a front page of a newspaper emerged in Chinese-language social media posts that claim it shows coverage of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad by China’s state-run tabloid, the Global Times.
But the claim is false. The photo has been digitally doctored. The original photo shows a Global Times report about former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein published in 2003.
The photo was shared here on X on Dec. 8, 2024.
The photo shows an old front-page news article purportedly published by the Global Times.
The headline of the article, dated Dec. 7, 2024, reads: “Why Bashar is not alarmed.”
In early December, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed following a swift offensive by rebel forces, notably Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led to the capture of Damascus. Assad and his family fled to Russia, where they were granted political asylum.
The fall of Assad’s regime drew significant attention in China as Syria was a strategic partner and a member of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to enhance Chinese influence and economic interests in the region through construction efforts.
However, Beijing’s reaction has been cautious, emphasizing the need for a political solution to restore stability while avoiding direct involvement with Syria’s new leadership.
The claim about the Global Time’s front page coverage was also shared here and here on X.
But the photo has been digitally doctored.
Doctored image
A reverse image search found the original photo shows a Global Times report about former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein published on Jan. 27, 2003.
A user on X shared an image of one of the article’s original print copies in January 2024. A digitized version of the text is accessible on the Chinese aggregate news site Sohu.
The original report was published several months before Saddam’s downfall following the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
A comparison of the original photo and the doctored image reveals that the word “Bashar” was added over Saddam’s name in the edited version.
The added text uses a different font style, making it inconsistent with the rest of the headline in black and the white text in a blue column on the right side of the page.
Actual front page
The Global Times’ front-page coverage on Dec. 7, 2024 detailed the political fallout following current South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law a few days earlier.
The Chinese tabloid separately published a report online about Syria on Dec. 7, citing a statement from the Syrian Presidential Palace denying claims that Assad had left Damascus.
The phrase “Why Bashar is not alarmed” was not used in the article’s title or body.
Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang.
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