Though China has not yet officially supported Russia's bombing campaign in Syria, Putin’s move is popular among both China’s state media and its online populace. Reports in China’s official state media have characterized Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria as a productive measure, welcomed by both the Syrian government and people, and purely aimed at stopping the Islamic State. An article in Xinhua on October 11, 2015 described Assad as an embattled leader who enjoyed significant domestic support and who had been strengthened at a crucial moment by Russia’s help against “some rebel groups receiving assistance from external forces.” An editorial in Xinhua the following day (Oct. 12) stated that Putin’s deployment of soldiers to Syria “strengthens the pursuit of a political solution.” On both October 13 and October 14, 2015,  the official state-run Global Times published  an article on its homepage about a pro-Russian rally held on October 13, 2015, with the headline “the Syrian people gather to thank Russia.”