Will China’s ‘smart political game’ in the Middle East and Ukraine pay off?
- Beijing is trying to cast itself as an alternative peacemaker but is clear-eyed about the limits of its influence, observers say
State media hailed both events as efforts by Beijing to “address the deficit in global peace”. Observers say that while China wants to play a central role in conflict resolution it is clear-eyed about the limits of its influence.
Beijing is seeking to contrast its approach with Washington’s entanglement in regional conflicts and to present itself as a facilitator of peace – part of a soft power push to counter criticism from the West.
Zhiqun Zhu, an international relations professor at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, said it was understandable that Beijing was pushing back.
“This new wave of active diplomacy is consistent with China’s attempt to project itself as a peacemaker in a turbulent world,” Zhu said. “Western governments and media have routinely portrayed China as an aggressive power, and China wants to demonstrate that it is a responsible and peaceful great power.”
He said China’s latest peacemaking efforts were a bid to counter what it sees as a hostile and unfair Western narrative.
“Whether one likes it or not, China is an important piece of the puzzle if we want to settle disputes in the Middle East, between Russia and Ukraine, and elsewhere,” he said.