The Israel-Hamas war, which has so far been centered around the idea of” balanced diplomacy ,” is, in my opinion, the sternest test however of President Xi Jinping’s Middle East strategy, as a professor who teaches courses on Chinese foreign policy.
Growing pro-Palestinian opinion in China and the nation’s long-standing ties to the area imply that, should Xi be forced off the path of fairness, he will support the Palestinians rather than the Israelis.
Beijing, however, may prefer not to make that decision for smart economical and foreign policy considerations. Making such a decision, in my opinion, would effectively put an end to China’s ten-year effort to establish itself as an influential” helpful plumber” in the area— an outside force that aims to mediate peace agreements and establish an incredibly diverse regional economic and security purchase.
BEIJING’S Techniques AND Goals
China was not the country that invested in the Middle East, contrary to what was widely believed in political circles ages ago. This hasn’t been the case since around 2012. Since then, China has invested a lot of political effort in expanding its influence in the area.
China’s strategic vision for the Middle East is considerably enhanced while the US influence is greatly reduced in Beijing.
On the one hand, this is merely a geographical expression of the world vision, as outlined in dozens of Chinese foreign policy initiatives, including the Community of Common Destiny, Global Development Initiative, and Global Security Initiative. All of these initiatives are intended, at least in part, to appeal to nations in the Global South that feel extremely cut off from the US-led rules-based global order.
It is a perspective based on worries that China’s entry to the Middle East oil and gas exports would be threatened if the United States maintained its control there.
That does not imply that Beijing wants to overthrow the United States as the region’s dominant force. Given the strength of the money and the US’s long-standing ties to some major economies in the region, that is impossible.
Instead, China’s stated strategy is to encourage regional multi-alignment, which encourags unique nations to cooperate with China in areas like infrastructure and industry. By doing this, China and other players in the area are strengthened, and any incentives to add unique US-led blocs are also undermined.