https://www.scmp.com/rss/508768/feed Dr Gedaliah Afterman is head of the Asia policy programme at the Abba Eban Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations at Reichman University (IDC Herzliya), Israel. He previously served as an Australian foreign service officer and a diplomat at the Australian Embassy in Beijing where he focused on issues related to China’s foreign policy, including the Middle East. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China’s engagement in the Middle East has surged over the past decade, particularly following the Arab spring and amid the perceived withdrawal of the United States from the region. Traditionally, Beijing has worked to develop balanced relationships with all sides while avoiding the region’s many conflicts. As China’s global standing has strengthened, however, it has adopted a more proactive approach, positioning itself as a potential alternative to the US. At the same time, superpower... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266970/amid-us-rivalry-chinas-gamble-middle-east-paying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3266970/amid-us-rivalry-chinas-gamble-middle-east-paying?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 08:30:09 +0000 China’s engagement in the Middle East has surged over the past decade, particularly following the Arab spring and amid the perceived withdrawal of the United States from the region. Traditionally, Beijing has worked to develop balanced relationships with all sides while avoiding the region’s many conflicts. As China’s global standing has strengthened, however, it has adopted a more proactive approach, positioning itself as a potential alternative to the US. At the same time, superpower... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3267054/amid-us-rivalry-chinas-gamble-middle-east-paying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3267054/amid-us-rivalry-chinas-gamble-middle-east-paying?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:32:55 +0000 The signing of the agreement to renew diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing earlier this month caught many observers by surprise, adding to a sense of China’s rising influence in the Middle East amid a growing perception that the US is losing sway. For China, at least in the immediate term, perceptions are important. The timing and location of the Saudi-Iranian declaration and China’s positioning as a peace-promoting, responsible mediator are critical. By bringing together two... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214131/china-and-middle-east-benefit-closer-cooperation-us-should-rethink-its-approach-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214131/china-and-middle-east-benefit-closer-cooperation-us-should-rethink-its-approach-region?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Mar 2023 19:00:11 +0000 As tensions between the United States and China in their competition for global supremacy continue to play out in Asia, regional changes in the Middle East have created an opening for much-needed cooperation rather than confrontation between the two. This cooperation is of particular importance for “middle countries” in the region balancing competing regional and global interests and increasingly being stuck between the Sino-US divide. With Iranian nuclear negotiations set to resume on November... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3156383/can-middle-east-become-theatre-strategic-china-us-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3156383/can-middle-east-become-theatre-strategic-china-us-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Nov 2021 17:30:12 +0000 Immediately after his meeting with senior US diplomats in Alaska, Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on a six-state tour of the Middle East. In Iran, his third stop, he signed the long-discussed 25-year cooperation agreement between China and Iran. There has been much speculation on what the agreement might mean for the region and for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiations. To understand its significance properly, it is essential to cut through the hype. The reality is that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3128725/why-overhyped-us400-billion-deal-changes-little-china-iran-or?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3128725/why-overhyped-us400-billion-deal-changes-little-china-iran-or?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Apr 2021 17:00:16 +0000 China is cementing its position in the US sandpit. As the Biden administration re-evaluates US foreign policy, and its China policy in particular, one region that demands a closer look is the Middle East. Traditionally a US domain, the region is undergoing an unprecedented transition and could become the next front in the superpower competition. Propelled by its ballooning demand for energy, China sensed an opportunity in the Middle East and began showing its appetite for what it initially saw... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120410/how-chinas-rise-middle-east-can-inform-us-policy-under-biden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120410/how-chinas-rise-middle-east-can-inform-us-policy-under-biden?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Feb 2021 01:15:10 +0000