Iran and North Korea are responsible for there own economic incompetence and i dont think China can do much more about it.While that's correct with regards to the fall of Assad, China also doesn't help disable US sanctions against North Korea or Iran (or Syria) like it does with Russia now. Governments of anti western countries fall because of poor economies that result from a lack of access to western markets because of sanctions and China obeying the sanctions as well. Instead of investing in countries that the US hates, China avoids them and dumps billions in Africa, which will never be repaid, and in Pakistan, which is a failed state in which terrorists keep murdering Chinese people.
Just a tiny fraction of the Pakistan investments could have been transformative for Syria. The Syrian army might have fought if they had a reconstructed country to fight for. The Baath party is even nominally socialist
China should use its investments as a foreign policy tool, not just looking for immediate commercial profits. Keeping a friendly government in power is also a positive outcome of an investment. But obviously sending soldiers would never happen
Russia imports from China even if you add the indirect is merely $130b. and than compare the actual size of Russian economy (scale of Russian tourists to Turkey alone) and its integration with Gulf Arabs/Israel. People underestimate Israel (global wealth/tech)/ Gulf Arabs(aviation/wealth hubs) and over estimate China economy. . Syria was bleeding it human capital to the region and Europe. Istanbul is aviation hub of the world. how you came to this conclusion that China can restructure Syria so much that it can compete with these countries?.

