MED This Week | Is China’s Iran-Saudi Deal a Step Towards Peace in the Middle East?

ITALIAN INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL STUDIES

“China wants a balanced relationship with both Saudi Arabia and Iran, despite the fact its economic exchange has shifted more towards the Arab Gulf states while Iran has become more dependent. However, regardless of what China wants, the reality is that it has to contend with a Gulf region that has become increasingly volatile in recent years. China, therefore, benefits from any stability that can be reached through Saudi-Iranian rapprochement. But while it hosted them and their agreement, it’s unlikely that China will change course and become a more active peacemaker in the region. The Saudi-Iran agreement is the culmination of a process that was already underway, and that involved other parties. Yes, China’s Five Point Plan in 2021 specifically acknowledged that things needed to improve between Iran and Saudi Arabia, but arguably much of the hard work had already been done by Iraq and Oman.”

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