China has extended an invitation to Syrian opposition leader Khaled Khoja to visit Beijing, a move that could upset leaders in Moscow as Khoja has publicly accused Russia of murdering civilians in Syria. 

Khoja, president of the Syrian National Coalition, will be in China from Tuesday Jan. 5 to Friday Jan. 8,  said Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry at a regular press conference Monday. During his visit to Beijing, Khoja will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to promote a political settlement in Syria.

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Khoja was invited by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, Hua added.

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011, which has claimed more than 250,000 lives and forced 11 million people out of their homes. The country's government has clashed with several opposition factions and radical Islamist groups, including Daesh, also known as Isis, or The Islamic State, and the Nusra Front, both of which are outlawed in Russia and other countries.

In November, when Khoja went to England to meet with the U.K.'s foreign secretary and other British officials, he told local media that "the Russians are helping Isis gain more ground," Khoja said. "They are targeting the moderate opposition and its constituency."

He also said that in the first month after Russia began conducting airstrikes in Syria, 1,800 civilians had been killed while the Syrian regime has been further emboldened.

Khoja had also called on the U.K. and other countries not to take part in open-ended talks in Vienna intended to end the civil.

"There needs to be a deadline for the Vienna talks to reach a conclusion otherwise the Russians will drag them out and use the time to kill more civilians."

Russia has not yet publicly commented on Khoja's visit to China, but it can't be too pleased that such a vocal opponent of Vladimir Putin's regime will have the ear of one of its closest allies.

TagsVisit to China by Syrian Opposition Leader Could Anger Russia, Khaled Khoja