China’s Vice President Han Zheng addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday. Along with retreads of established Chinese positions on Taiwan, Ukraine, and the Israel/Palestine conflict, his comments also provided interesting clues about China’s messaging to the Global South.
First, he called on the international community to “follow the direction of a multipolar world” with the UN at its center. I wonder how opinion within Beijing’s inner circles breaks down around the bipolarity/multipolarity issue, considering ...
Category: Mideast
$23 Billion of Deals Signed at China-Arab Trade Fair
The China-Arab Trade Expo closed on Sunday in the northwestern region of Ningxia with $23.4 billion in deals signed. As is customary with these kinds of announcements, Chinese officials did not release any specific details about the deals or the companies involved.
Syrian President Assad Heads to Beijing as China Ramps Up Mideast Diplomacy
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will arrive in China on Thursday ahead of a landmark summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Assad's visit kicks off a new round of Chinese diplomacy focused on the Mideast in the weeks ahead that will also ...
Kuwait’s Crown Prince Heads to China
Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah left for China on Wednesday for an official visit that will likely include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (the Foreign Ministry has to confirm whether it will happen). The focus of the ...
Saudi Arabia to Boost Oil Sales to China Next Year
Saudi Arabia is preparing to increase oil shipments to China in 2024 to meet growing demand from a crop of new refineries that will come online next year, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. While Russian sales are expected to remain strong ...
Proposed India-Middle East-Europe Trade Route Could Take India-China Rivalry to Israel
Few people have been as enthusiastic about the announcement of an ambitious proposed trade corridor linking India and Greece via Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Israel as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu, who is facing ongoing protests against controversial ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Unpacking Han Zheng’s Messaging to the Global South at the UN General Assembly
From Manufacutring to Movies to Stock Markets, China and Saudi Arabia Sign a Flurry of New Development Deals
The pace of news business development deals between Saudi Arabia and China appears to be gaining momentum amid a slate of new announcements this week, highlighting increasingly close financial ties between the two countries: MOVIES: Leading Saudi Arabian ...
Saudi Arabia Eying China to Build Nuclear Power Program as Part of an Effort to Pressure U.S.
The U.S. wants Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia wants to build a civilian nuclear power program but the U.S. doesn't want Riyadh to enrich its own uranium for fear it could be used to build weapons -- so Saudi Arabia turns to China ...
The China-Mediterranean Observer: Iranian, Saudi Commentators Reflect on What’s Next for China’s Role in the Region
In April, news outlets throughout the wider Mediterranean region continued to discuss the “Beijing Agreement”, the recent China-brokered deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to reestablish official diplomatic relations. Interest in the agreement remained high as the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers reconvened in Beijing ...
Iraqi Air Force Denies Rumors It Agreed to Buy Chinese JF-17 Fighter Jets From Pakistan
Reports began circulating late last week that Iraq had finalized a deal to purchase 12 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan for $664 million. The news lit up Pakistani Twitter as hundreds of posts emerged celebrating the deal that would make ...
Q&A: China’s New Global Initiatives? What Are Its Goals and How Does It Affect the Middle East and Israel?
In the past two years, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced three global initiatives: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. To understand the nature of the initiatives and their consequences for the Middle East we spoke with researcher Tuvia Gering, a ...