Bottom Line
- In early March 2023, China mediated an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to normalize diplomatic relations. While normalization between the two Middle Eastern rivals was in the works for some time, that Beijing brokered the detente sent geopolitical shockwaves around the world.
- The agreement marks Beijing’s most substantial and successful diplomatic engagement in the region to date, undercuts American influence in the Middle East, and is an important victory for China as it attempts to assert itself on the world stage.
- However, the more China becomes involved in Middle Eastern diplomacy, the more it risks its reputation as an apolitical partner that is primarily interested in economic growth, and the more it risks losing investments due to political disputes.
Authors
- Published in
- United States of America
