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China-Middle East relations

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China-Middle East relations
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China-Middle East relations. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

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40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Left: the Thai‑flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree burns after being hit by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Right: Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Photos: EPA/Royal Thai Navy, Iran Military Monitor via X
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s new supreme leader defies Trump, says Hormuz must stay blocked

In first declaration since his appointment as the country’s new supreme leader, Khamenei demands that US military bases in region must close.

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US, Israel war on Iran

In a new age of disorder, is it time for China to rethink non-intervention?

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China's military weapons

Open Questions | War on Iran may spark nuclear arms race, Carnegie scholar says

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US, Israel war on Iran

US warns of possible strikes on Iran ports as Hormuz becomes flashpoint

US military considers civilian ports to be legitimate targets, prompting a threat from Iran that no location in the Gulf would remain safe.

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A satellite image showing damage at naval facilities in Bushehr, Iran on March 7. Photo: Vantor via Reuters
China trade

China’s oil-import surge seen shielding economy with 120-day buffer

Crude volumes rose sharply in January and February as Beijing amassed reserves, pre-empting Mideast risks, and analysts say it provides a strong buffer for global supply disruptions.

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China energy security

China’s energy defences ease sting of Iran war instability

Reliance on coal power, investments in renewables and a huge oil stockpile will help China weather disruption to global crude supplies stemming from the Iran war.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Ships brandish China links to evade Iran’s attacks in Strait of Hormuz

Vessels are claiming to have an ‘all-Chinese crew’ or ‘Chinese owner’ in a bid to reduce the risk of being targeted.

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Ships sit anchored in Muscat, Oman, on Monday, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

China vows to stabilise oil and gas output in new 5-year plan amid global risks

Amid Mideast instability and US$100 oil, China is mapping out strategic production bases, underpinning long-term energy security.

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Middle East

Open Questions | Strikes on Iran not the biggest threat to China’s belt and road goals: Pan Guang

Mainland academic assesses the risks to Chinese investment and diplomacy in the region and what it means for the other main players.

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Two Sessions 2026

Is Trump’s China trip still on? Despite Iran, Wang Yi sees potential

Chinese foreign minister suggests the summit with Xi is still on track and high-level engagement remains key.

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A Xi-Trump summit could still be on, despite the turmoil in the Middle East. Photo: Reuters
China trade

Iran war fallout grows as China struggles to import vital fertiliser chemical

Supplies of sulphur – a key fertiliser ingredient – are tightening in China just as the spring planting season begins.

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Smoke rises above buildings in Tehran after air strikes on March 1. The escalating conflict in the Middle East is leading to tight supplies of sulphur in China. Photo: Getty Images
Iran

Opinion | US-Iran conflict puts China’s pragmatism to the test

For Beijing, the danger is less about losing Iran as a partner than losing stability in the energy-rich Middle East.

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China energy security

China-Iran relations

China’s ties with Iran are under scrutiny amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran thanks Chinese public after US-Israeli air strikes prompt wave of sympathy

Embassy in Beijing says Iran sincerely grateful to ‘the civilised and righteous Chinese people’ but financial aid not needed for now.

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A mass funeral ceremony is held on Tuesday for students and staff members killed in a US-Israeli attack on a school in Minab, southern Iran. Civilian deaths have caused particular outrage among people in China. Photo: Handout via Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

Open Questions | Iran war’s impact on China limited, scholar Pan Guang says

China’s Middle East position ‘relatively favourable’, professor says, and regional spillover from US-Israeli attacks likely to be limited to Tehran’s Shia militia allies.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Mainland China

Why China is staying on the sidelines of the US-Iran conflict

Decision based on consideration of Beijing’s own interests as well as its ties with Washington and others, analysts say.

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Israel

China urges Israel to end war in Iran as regional tensions escalate

Beijing says US-Israeli strikes were in bad faith and calls for an immediate halt, a return to talks and opposition to unilateral action.

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Middle East

How will China adjust Israel ties as US-led strikes on Iran reshape Middle East?

Beijing is unlikely to abandon ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the region despite killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, analysts say.

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Men inspect the ruins of a police station on Tuesday in Tehran, Iran. Photo: AP
China trade

Not just oil: Iran war disrupts China’s imports of key industrial material

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking off China’s imports of methanol – a vital input for the country’s industrial sector.

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Two Sessions 2026

Will Iran feature in foreign policy talks at China’s ‘two sessions’?

The focus is on economics and the five-year plan but the turmoil could prompt a rethink in some areas, analysts say.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says Iran war could last a month or longer as conflict widens

Trump administration says the ‘hardest hits are yet to come’ for Iran, as Tehran and its allies hit back across the region.

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US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Why the US-Israel war with Iran leaves Asian economies exposed

Mainland China imports vast amounts of oil from the Middle East but India, South Korea and others could fare worse, analysts say.

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Tanker traffic has largely halted on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman along Iran’s southern coast. The disruption is expected to hit global crude supply. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

Why the Iran war will accelerate China’s push to become an ‘energy powerhouse’

The conflict does not pose an immediate threat to China’s oil supply, but will spur on the country’s energy security drive, analysts say.

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US-Iran tensions

Iran attack a ‘wake-up call’ for China on electronic warfare and intelligence

Retired PLA colonel urges China to watch out for ‘internal infiltration and intelligence leaks’ and boost ‘security around critical targets’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

3 US troops killed in Iran war, Trump warns more could come

The US president vows to ‘avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow’.

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Demonstrators outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, set fire to a placard with a picture of US President Donald Trump on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
War and conflict

Opinion | US-Israeli strike on Iran signals new phase of global escalation

This is deterrence fatigue: escalation thresholds weakened by repeated testing and retaliation. The risk is not only war but systemic strain.

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People watch as smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, on February 28. Photo: AP
Middle East

Trump urges Iranians to overthrow government after US-Israel strikes

US bases in Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain under attack by Revolutionary Guard, according to Iranian media outlet.

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Artificial intelligence

Meet Habibi – the Chinese AI uniting 20 Arabic dialects in a Middle East first

Lead author says there are many differences between Arabic dialects and Modern Standard Arabic, which is used in official circumstances.

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