“Arab analysts generally expressed an understanding of the strategic reasoning behind Beijing’s avoidance of direct military support for Iran, attributing its caution to the desire to preserve economic and diplomatic ties with Israel and the U.S. Several commentators also suggested that China’s stance in the Middle East is closely linked to its immediate strategic priorities, particularly Taiwan, suggesting that the region remains secondary to Beijing’s core concerns. Even so, the war has seemingly undermined China’s credibility as a potential security provider, with some Arab experts arguing that Beijing lacks the capacity and the willingness to mediate conflicts or reshape the Middle East’s strategic balance, especially when compared with Washington’s more interventionist approach.”
Francesco Scala and Leonardo Bruni (ChinaMed, T.wai) are authors of the issue “An unreliable friend: Arab perspectives on China after the Twelve-Day War” of the ChinaMed Observer.
