CHINA AS PEACEMAKER IN MIDDLE EAST

1. Context

China has been upping its diplomatic charm offensive in the Middle East in recent weeks, framing itself as a peacemaker between longstanding rivals in the region. After brokering a landmark deal, helping Iran and Saudi Arabia to re-establish diplomatic ties on April 6, 2023 Beijing is now trying to facilitate peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

2. China’s focus on ‘acquiring resources and markets

Beijing views longstanding disputes between different countries as “destabilizing” and potentially risky to its long-term business interests.
China’s most important interests in the Middle East are acquiring resources and markets, which include economic and political interests.
China has an incentive to resolve these disputes, as it can benefit from stability in the region.
Additionally, serving as a mediator allows China to demonstrate that it’s a great power that wants to contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East.
Before the groundbreaking deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, China has long been a top trading partner for countries in the Middle East, purchasing oil and investing more than $273 billion (€250 billion) in the region between 2005 and 2022.
The Belt and Road initiative, China’s flagship global infrastructure project that started in 2013, has also allowed Beijing to expand its influence across the region.

3. What is New Saudi-Iran Deal?

Iran and Saudi Arabia, two of the largest oil-producing states in the Middle East have agreed to restore ties and reopen embassies which have been closed since relations between the two broke down in 2016 following the execution of a Shia cleric by Saudi Arabia.
The agreement was negotiated by China and signed in Beijing after a series of secret negotiations.
The agreement could potentially lead to peace in Yemen where the two countries had been waging a proxy war and also affect the Iran nuclear deal.
The deal has been welcomed by the United Nations, France, Jordan, and other West Asian countries but Chinese involvement and concerns over whether it could be counter to the USA -Led Abraham accords have worried Israel, the UAE, and the USA.
The successful agreement would boost China’s efforts to project itself as a peacemaker as previous efforts by Oman and Iraq to reach a solution had failed.
The trilateral statement issued by the three countries following the agreement affirmed their respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

4. How is it beneficial to China?

In contrast, China has enjoyed warmer ties with Saudi Arabia and Iran.
In December 2022, China and Saudi Arabia signed more than twelve agreements related to energy and infrastructure.
Tehran and Beijing have also coordinated on the Belt and Road Initiative with talks being held on a 25-year MoU on oil and infrastructure projects worth around $400 billion.
China has stated that it would continue to play a constructive role in handling hotspot issues across the world and demonstrate its responsibility as a major nation.

5. India's Response to this Deal

India has not officially released any announcement in reaction to the agreement but experts have expressed concern about Beijing’s potential influence on two of India’s largest partners in the region, given the tensions between India and China.
While the normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran was good news for India, China’s role was a concern but this also provided India with an opportunity to rework its priorities and focus on regional developments in the Middle East.
Some experts have claimed that India’s recent focus on the I2U2 quadrilateral involving Israel, the USA, and UAE might have shifted the focus away from Iran and Saudi Arabia.
A visit to India by the Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman was postponed in 2022 while the Iranian prime minister’s visit as part of the Raisina Dialogue 2023 was also canceled.
India will also pay close attention to China’s response to the success of the deal and whether China will extend its peacemaker role to other global conflicts.

6. Can China challenge US dominance in the Middle East?

As China looks to grow its influence in the Middle East, the international community is also closely following how it might challenge a regional order that has long been dominated by the United States.
Murphy from the US War College told DW that China puts emphasis on its ability to maintain balanced relations with every country in the Middle East and that there are no signs that Beijing would start picking sides amid its ongoing attempt to present itself as a “peacemaker.”
Even though some US policymakers view China’s growing influence in the Middle East with concern, Gering from INSS thinks top US officials like Secretary of State Antony Blinken view Beijing’s attempt to be a mediator in regional conflicts as a positive change.

For Prelims: Middle East, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israelis, Palestinians, diplomatic ties, Belt and Road initiative, Iran nuclear deal, USA -Led Abraham accords, I2U2, and Raisina Dialogue.

For Mains: 1. Discuss the Role of India in Saudi-Iran Relations and the Effect of Policies & Politics of Countries on India's Interests. (250 Words)

Source: The Indian Express

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