The discourse surrounding China’s influence in the Middle East all too often swings between binary narratives. Some overstate China’s regional clout, suggesting its expanding footprint is pushing the United States out of the Middle East. Others underestimate China, contending that despite its growing regional power, Beijing harbors insufficient leverage to affect any meaningful change. Between … Read more
In the grand theater of global geopolitics, a complex narrative is unfolding, weaving together the fates of the Middle East, the Taiwan Strait, and the burgeoning superpower rivalry between China and the United States. This intricate saga, underscored by China’s rising influence, Iran’s regional ambitions, and Taiwan’s precarious position, offers a profound glimpse into the … Read more
China, the world’s biggest exporter, says it is deeply concerned about tensions in the Red Sea that have upended global trade by forcing many shippers to avoid the Suez Canal. China has been in “close communication with all parties concerned and making positive efforts to de-escalate” the situation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at … Read more
China’s relations with Palestine, which are intertwined with its overall Middle East policy, have deep historical roots. China officially recognized Palestine in 1988, but bilateral relations started in 1965. That year, the Palestine Liberation Organization opened a representative office in China, which was converted to embassy level in 1974. During these years, Palestinian leaders, especially Yasser … Read more
Advertisement Recent statements by the head of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, about Iran’s plans to establish a permanent station in Antarctica have, unsurprisingly, attracted considerable attention and some skepticism. Whatever Irani’s aspirations and intentions – and those of others in the hierarchy of the Iranian regime, if indeed the remarks are not … Read more
Advertisement The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Julian Spencer-Churchill, an associate professor of political science at Concordia University, and Behrouz Ayaz, an Iranian political analyst collaborating with the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, … Read more
Advertisement Much has already been said about Hamas’s surprise attack in Israel last Saturday, October 7, and the results are still unfolding. The potential it carries to provoke drastic changes in regional – and possibly global – geopolitics is high and could have heavy impacts on the economy, security, and diplomatic relations of countries around … Read more
Advertisement Symbols sometimes speak louder than facts, even when they shouldn’t. The public diplomacy focused on “development” that followed China’s so-called mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran involved a dizzying series of visits and initiatives labeled in the usual propaganda style. They were loosely connected to China’s various grand schemes for the planet – up … Read more