XI and Putin are united in the Israel Iran conflict
XI and Putin are united in the Israel Iran conflict
china and Russia position themselves as votes of reason and demand a de -escalation of the conflict to which the United States consider. These messages projected XI Jinping and Vladimir Putin during a phone call on Thursday.
The context of the US commitment
While US President Donald Trump is thinking about joining Israel in attack on Iran, the quickly intensifying conflict between two eternal enemies in the Middle East Beijing and Moscow offers the opportunity to present themselves as an alternative to US dominance.
Putins and Xi's attitude to Israel
In their conversation Putin and XI sentenced the actions of Israel and described them as a violation of the UN Charter and other norms of international law, as the Kremlbüro announced. (However, the elephant in the room is Russia itself, which in its ongoing war against Ukraine violated international laws and has not consistently condemned the Beijing.)In the official message from Beijing, XI chose a measurement tone and held back from an explicit convict of Israel - in contrast to his foreign minister, who did this in a conversation with his Iranian counterpart last week. Instead, the Chinese leader asked the warring parties, "especially Israel", to give up the fire as soon as possible to prevent further escalation and regional effects.
China's message to the USA
A encrypted message to Trump is particularly noteworthy: Xi emphasized that "big powers", which have a special impact on the conflict parties, should work to "calm down the situation, not the opposite." Beijing has long accuses Washington of being a source of instability and tensions in the Middle East, and some Chinese scientists use the Iran crisis to underline this point.
The role of the United States in the Middle East
Liu Zhongmin, an expert for the Middle East at Shanghai International Studies University, blamed the current escalation of uncertainty caused by Trump's second term, and the chaotic, opportunistic nature of its Mangost policy. He wrote in the state media: "Trump has seriously undermined the authority and credibility of US politics in the Middle East and weakened the reputation and management position of America among his allies."
another 'eternal war' in the Middle East?
Some Chinese online commentators notice that Trump is apparently about to move the USA deeper into another so-called eternal war in the Middle East. At the beginning of his second term, civil servants emphasized the need for Washington to redirect his focus and resources to the defense against Chinese ambitions in the Indopazacific. But five months after taking office, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza Strip continue to rage - and Trump is now considering participating in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Beijing's interests in the Iran conflict
Beijing is not interested in a comprehensive war against Iran that could overthrow the regime. Under the leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has established itself as a formidable power in the Middle East, which acts as a counterweight to US dominance-just as China tries to expand its own diplomatic and economic influence in the region.
In 2023, Beijing helped to convey a surprising approach between the archrival Saudi Arabia and Iran-a will of his striving to appear as a new power broker in the region.
China's strategic partnership with Iran
China has supported Iran in the long term through sustainable oil imports and its membership in the UN Security Council. In recent years, the two countries have deepened their strategic gang, including joint naval exercises with Russia. Beijing welcomed Tehran to the Shanghaier cooperation organization and Brics - groups led by China and Russia to challenge the world order led by the USA.
Iran is also a critical hub in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), its global infrastructure and investment program. The country is located near the strategic gwadar port-an important outpost of the Bri in Pakistan, which enables China access to the Indian Ocean-and borders on the street of Hormuz, an important bottleneck for Chinese oil imports from Persian Golf.
China's mediation role in the conflict
Similar to Russia, China offered to take on a potential mediator role in the Israel Iran conflict in order to position itself as a peace broker and alternative to the US leadership. During his conversation with Putin, XI outlined four comprehensive proposals for the de -escalation of the tensions, including the solution to the Iranian nuclear problem through dialogue and the protection of civilians, according to the Chinese communication.In the meantime, Xi's Foreign Minister Wang Yi spent a busy week on the phone and spoke to his counterparts in Iran, Israel, Egypt and Oman in a flood of diplomatic contacts.
The challenge of mediation
It remains unclear what Beijing is actually ready and able to do the mediation of the conflict. In the early phases of Israel's war against Gaza, China made a similar offer and sent a special representative to the region to promote peace talks - efforts that ultimately brought little tangible results.
Medicating peace in the Middle East is a demanding task, especially for a country that has little experience or expertise in mediation lengthy, stuck conflicts - in a deeply split region where it has no significant political or security policy presence.in one conflict in which China has a significant influence - the war in Ukraine - has offered XI diplomatic backing and urgently needed economic support to maintain Putin's efforts of war, while China continues to try to position itself as a neutral peace broker.
China's symbolic achievement
Despite all of this, one can argue that China has already been increasingly questioned at a time when the global leadership role of the United States, especially in the eyes of the global south, has already developed a symbolic victory as a voice of moderation in the Iran conflict.
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