TOKYO — China’s strategy of engaging with the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” is under pressure following the fall of the Syrian regime, although some analysts see opportunities in the reconstruction of the war-torn Middle Eastern country.

Like many governments, China is scrambling to grasp the full ramifications of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s abrupt departure from his country to seek asylum in Russia, after rebels led by a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reached the capital Damascus.