Category: Persian Gulf
China Wants to Be a Big Player in the Middle East
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's latest six-nation tour of the Middle East and Turkey revealed that Beijing now aims to play a much larger role in the region. During his trip, Wang signed a high-profile ...
China’s New Agreement With Iran is Important, Just Not That Important Say Experts
This weekend's signing of a highly-anticipated 25-year security and economic cooperation agreement between China and Iran was met with predictable anxiety in Washington and European capitals. The pact, signed by the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, calls for cooperation ...
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Both Place Long Term Bets on China
With oil and gas demand in the U.S. and Europe expected to fall dramatically in the years ahead as both regions embrace a post-carbon economy, two of the world's largest energy exporters, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are now looking to China to fill the void. Ministers and ...
The China-Mediterranean Observer: Chinese Foreign Policy Tries to Keep Pace With Rapid Change in the Middle East
Turkey, Iran, and Israel were the protagonists in Chinese commentaries on the wider Mediterranean region. As always, Chinese analysts remain rather pessimistic in their assessment of the situation as they look at the region characterized by a lack of unity among both Arabs and Europeans. Interestingly, the ...
Chinese Oil Buying From Saudi Arabia Surges, Likely at Africa’s Expense
Saudi Arabia is emerging as an increasingly important hub on China's Belt and Road Initiative as Beijing turns to the Kingdom for an increasingly large share of its oil procurement. Last year, two-way trade surged 23% year-on-year to $78 billion, and even amid the ...
COVID-19 Tops the Agenda at China-Gulf Countries Foreign Minister Meeting
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with six of his counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday for a virtual conference, where COVID-19 was atop the agenda. The ministers focused on access to a future C19 vaccine as well as PPE and other pandemic mitigation resources. ...
Why We Should All Just Take a Breath and Ignore the Hype Surrounding the Proposed China-Iran Deal
News that China and Iran were in late-stage talks to finalize a 25-year, $400 billion deal generated an alarming response in the U.S. and Europe, prompting widespread concern that a new, enhanced partnership between these two countries would mark a dramatic challenge to United States hegemony and ...