What is China Trying to Achieve in the Middle East? Prominent Chinese Scholar Lays it Out

Chinese diplomacy in the Middle East has become a lot more prominent over the last few years, especially with its brokering of a diplomatic thaw between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Since the start of the Israel conflict, China has called for a ceasefire and drew Israeli anger by not specifically condemning Hamas.

Despite many Western observers dismissing China’s role, Wu Bingbing, head of Beijing University’s Institute of Arab-Islamic Culture, argues that China brings a new approach to the region’s crisis. A translated version of an article that appeared in Chinese before the current crisis laying out China’s approach to the region recently appeared in Thomas des Garets Geddes’ Sinification newsletter.