China Is Moving Into the Middle East
Chinese leader Xi Jinping, left, meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Dec. 8 during the China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit.
Photographer: Anadolu Agency
The Middle East’s emergence as a key front in the new Cold War between the US and China has become even clearer since this newsletter analyzed how Beijing was stepping into the widening breach between Washington and Saudi Arabia.
China has put its stamp on the region in a way that could hardly have been guessed six months ago—notably by brokering a rapprochement between longtime regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. Remarkably, China Foreign Minister Qin Gang this week launched an effort at encouraging a restart of Israel-Palestine talks.