Middle East peace is in China’s best interests |
SINCE the US-Israel war against Iran began, China’s Foreign Minister has kept close communications with his Middle Eastern counterparts and a special Chinese envoy has been deployed to the region for mediation. China’s move delivers an explicit message: let peace return. Although the war is not taking place at China’s doorstep, China is probably as concerned as regional countries about the escalation in tensions.
Iran is a major partner of China in the Middle East, with a 25-year cooperation agreement signed a few years ago. The two countries also cooperate under multilateral platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. When Iran is at war with two foreign powers, the situation inevitably affects many aspects of China-Iran cooperation, especially if the conflict leads to instability and chaos in Iran.
However, it is not only direct China-Iran collaboration at stake. The war’s spillover could affect China’s broader business ties in the Middle East. A think tank affiliated with China’s commerce ministry reports that China’s investment in Arab nations grew by 260% in the decade ending in 2024. China has also been the Arab world’s largest trading partner for years, with trade exceeding $400 billion in 2024. With the second China-Arab Summit scheduled this year, regional turbulence is a major concern for Beijing.
At a time when the Strait of Hormuz has become a choking point for global energy supplies, China can’t stay immune. As much as 40% of China’s oil imports are shipped through the waterway. Although so far China has been reportedly less affected by the disruption compared to other Asian economies, it’s hard to imagine that a protracted war won’t deal a heavy blow to China. Judging from the strong momentum of China’ exports throughout 2025 and the first two months of this year, external demand continues to play an important role in driving China’s economic growth. If the Iran conflict casts a shadow on the global economy, weak international demand will pose a challenge to China’s economy. In the wake of the war’s outbreak, China has adopted carefully calibrated diplomatic language, condemning attacks on civilians, calling for restraint and appealing for dialogue.
Some analysts see this as a limited response, suggesting it undermines narratives of China’s rising influence. From another perspective, however, it shows that China is not competing for influence in the Middle East. China’s approach reflects the belief that tense situations require a cool head and diplomacy is about maturity, not fueling conflict. Interpreting China’s call for restraint as weakness is morally irresponsible toward civilians suffering from bombings and airstrikes.
It is far-fetched to suggest that the US getting embroiled in another Middle East war would benefit China strategically. China’s priority in its ties with the US is to maintain mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. While strategic competition is part of Washington’s China policy, China has no intention of challenging or replacing the US globally. China has avoided war for decades, knowing it brings huge suffering to civilians. Seeking reduced US pressure at the cost of Middle Eastern lives would contradict China’s vision of a shared future for humanity.
In fact, it’s even questionable to argue that China benefited from the past US wars in the Middle East. The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq paved the way for the rise of the Islamic State later on and multiple sources of analysis have indicated that the ISIS posed additional challenges and complexities to the counter-terrorism efforts in China’s Xinjiang.
For decades, balanced diplomacy and non-interventionism have been the key characteristics of China’s Middle East policy. This is the best manifestation of China’s genuine commitment to peace in the region. Since the Iran war began, some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly declared themselves as China-linked to try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks. We saw the same scenario when Yemen’s Houthis attacked Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea to show support for Palestinians. Both cases reflect China’s good reputation in the region.
The reality is that China is one of the few external powers, if not the only one, that don’t have a foe in the Middle East. This is why China was able to broker the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023. The warming of ties between Tehran and Riyadh had gone very well until the US and Israel launched the war against Iran. Tehran’s retaliation targeting US assets in the Gulf region has brought about new uncertainties in Iran’s relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. As the world watches this trend happen, China is probably one of the most heartbroken countries.
That said, China alone is by no means capable of restoring peace. No single power can. The US wants China to help address the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz. Frankly, China can’t convince Iran to stop its actions at the waterway if Iran faces continued attacks from the US and Israel. Washington and Tel Aviv are fighting an illegal and poorly supported war. When it comes to when and how the war will end, the ball is largely in the court of the parties that started it. China, on its part, stands ready to work with relevant countries in creating conditions for the resumption of political dialogues.
—The author is a Beijing-based radio host and political analyst.