Chinese President Xi Jinping recently hosted Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and warned against transforming the region into an arena for major power competition. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Wang Yi engaged officials from Saudi Arabia and Iran to support peace efforts and back Iranian sovereignty. Because China relies heavily on energy transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Beijing previously leveraged its influence by cutting Iranian crude imports to historic lows between April and June to help depress global Brent prices. Special envoy Zhai Jun is now scheduled to visit Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia to further advance these regional mediation efforts.
Key points
Beijing is expanding its Middle Eastern footprint to protect essential crude oil supplies…: Beijing is expanding its Middle Eastern footprint to protect essential crude oil supplies amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Diplomatic outreach to Gulf officials allows China to project leadership and enhance its…: Diplomatic outreach to Gulf officials allows China to project leadership and enhance its international standing as American global prestige faces strain.
Chinese authorities have demonstrated an ability to influence global oil markets by previ…: Chinese authorities have demonstrated an ability to influence global oil markets by previously slashing Iranian crude imports to historic lows.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
China has held a flurry of meetings with Gulf leaders in a sign that Beijing is stepping up its diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.
The diplomatic salvo comes before a highly anticipated meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping when the US president is expected to attend the Apec conference in Shenzhen, China, on 18 and 19 November.
Xi held talks with Haitham bin Tariq, Oman’s sultan, in a historic state visit to Beijing on Monday.
President Xi’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, met Saudi Arabia’s national security adviser, Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban, and the deputy secretary of Iran’s national security council, Ali Bagheri Kani.
Haitham’s trip to Beijing is the first time that an Omani head of state has visited China since the two countries established diplomatic relations nearly 50 years ago. According to a Chinese readout of the meeting, Xi warned that the Middle East should not become an arena for “great power rivalry and geopolitical conflicts”.
He said: “China has always been actively committed to stopping conflict and promoting peace, and hopes to contribute wisdom and…
Justices are stepping in after lower courts delivered conflicting rulings on whether the protest group was lawfully designated as a terrorist organization under counterterrorism legislation. The outcome will decide the legal boundaries between political dissent and national security, following nationwide civil unrest and thousands of public arrests. Part of the two-day appeal will take place in secret to examine sensitive evidence.
Justices are stepping in after lower courts delivered conflicting rulings on whether the protest group was lawfully designated as a terrorist organization under counterterrorism legislation. The outcome will decide the legal boundaries between political dissent and national security, following nationwide civil unrest and thousands of public arrests. Part of the two-day appeal will take place in secret to examine sensitive evidence.
The unannounced military action focused on neutralizing missile threats facing American personnel in the Strait of Hormuz amid an eight-month-old conflict. While thousands of additional military personnel and a naval carrier deploy to enforce existing tanker blockades, the confrontation continues to threaten the American economy through rising gasoline prices ahead of critical domestic voting.