Syrian refugees gather in a room as they wait to be registered at a UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) registration center, one of many across Lebanon, in the northern port city of Tripoli on May 29, 2014.
China says it is offering $16 million in humanitarian assistance for refugees from the conflict in Syria as part of its growing engagement with the Arab world.
President Xi Jinping said Thursday that the assistance would go to displaced Syrians sheltering in neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon.
China's official Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi made the announcement while meeting with Arab delegates to the sixth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing. He also announced nearly $10 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority.
China's ties with the Middle East have expanded along with its rising diplomatic profile and growing dependence on imported crude oil.
Saudi Arabia is China's largest supplier, followed by countries such as Iran, Oman, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.