Beijing’s Palestinian Diplomacy is About Much More Than Just Peace in the Middle East, Says Prominent Scholar

File image of Zhu Weilie, honorary director of the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) and a professor at the Sino-Arab Center for Reform and Development Studies. Image via SISU.

While China is undeniably playing an increasingly important role as a convener for seemingly intractable diplomatic stalemates in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf regions, how much Beijing is responsible for the outcomes of these engagements is very much in question.

For example, it’s well-documented that Iraq and Oman did the bulk of the work in facilitating a landmark détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia that China finalized in 2023 when then-Foreign Minister Qin Gang brought the parties together in Beijing for a signing ceremony.

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by Eric Olander

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