China steps up Middle East diplomacy with Iran and Oman

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 3 Nov, 13:52 · Archive

China's foreign minister and president have held high-level meetings with Iranian and Omani officials.

China is intensifying its diplomatic engagement in the Middle East. On Monday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in Beijing. Wang said dialogue and negotiation remained 'the only viable path forward' as regional conflicts 'drag on and risk further spillover'. He reaffirmed China's support for Iran's sovereignty and security.

In a separate high-level engagement, President Xi Jinping hosted Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for a state visit—the first visit by an Omani head of state to China since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1978. Xi warned that the Middle East 'should not become an arena for great-power rivalry and geopolitical conflict', saying China was 'actively committed to stopping conflict and promoting peace'.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Zhai Jun, Beijing's special envoy on the Middle East, will visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia this month. Al Jazeera's reporting suggests China has grown impatient with the lack of progress in regional diplomacy in recent weeks. The meetings come ahead of a planned meeting between Xi and US President Donald Trump at the Apec conference in Shenzhen on 18 and 19 November.

How it is being reported

• Trump’s troubles with Iran could open the door to ChinaBeijing launches diplomatic salvo to woo Gulf leaders and bolster its influence in the region 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. Continue reading...The Guardian · 3 Nov, 13:13
• China steps up Middle East diplomacy with Iran and Oman meetingsBeijing urges dialogue on US-Iran war, sends envoy to Gulf as Xi hosts first Omani head of state visit since 1978.Al Jazeera · 2 Nov, 16:03

In this story: China · Iran · Oman · Wang Yi · Xi Jinping · Ali Bagheri Kani · Sultan Haitham bin Tariq · United States

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log