As China hosted the 19th Asian Games in September last year, President Xi Jinping welcomed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at a picturesque lakeside guesthouse in the eastern city of Hangzhou.

Asma al-Assad was always the friendly face of a brutal ... Their brief presence during the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games quickly became viral and a top search on Weibo.

HANGZHOU, China--The opening ceremony of the ... Among the dignitaries on hand were Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who left behind his war-torn country, International Olympic Committee ...