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China-Middle East relations

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China-Middle East relations
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China-Middle East relations. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Open Questions series

Economist James Heckman on the value of risk-taking, and China’s ‘common goal’

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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Illustration: Henry Wong

Economist James Heckman on the value of risk-taking, and China’s ‘common goal’

videocam
6
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

videocam
15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

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5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

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18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

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93
Illustration: Henry Wong
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
In the winter of 2025, Lilian Liu, at Middle East-focused tour operator UFOX Travel, hosted a group of more than 40 students from a private high school in Abu Dhabi. Photo: UFOX Travel
China education

Why China is attracting wealthy Gulf families in search of opportunity

Growing interest in China’s tech sector is reshaping Gulf travel to the world’s second-largest economy.

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China energy security

Global oil stockpiles could fall to ‘critical levels’ by summer, IEA warns

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US-China relations

China’s Wang Yi tells UN multilateralism must be protected in swipe at US

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China manufacturing

How China emerged as a major exporter of these ‘premium quality’ products

Food, fashion and cosmetics have helped turn the country into a force in the fast-growing multi-trillion US dollar market.

A Hui shopkeeper at a halal butcher’s shop in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Photo: Nectar Gan
China energy security

As Chinese supertankers cross Strait of Hormuz, is the crisis starting to ease?

Two Chinese tankers were among group of vessels transiting vital waterway on Wednesday, but was it a one-off or the start of a new trend?

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Belt and Road Initiative

China breaks ground on Gulf aviation megaproject in shadow of Iran war

A state-owned firm has launched work on a massive aviation complex, signalling continued confidence amid regional conflict.

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Iran

Why Iran’s choice of Beijing envoy signals an ‘unprecedented’ commitment

Prominent hardliner Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, is a veteran of peace talks with the US.

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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is “likely a figure who can represent Iran and is acceptable to all domestic political factions”, according to a Chinese scholar. Photo: TNS
South Korea

‘Unidentified aircraft’ hit Korean cargo ship in Hormuz on Monday: Seoul

Iran has denied responsibility for the attack, with its embassy in Seoul stating that it rejects and denies any allegations of involvement.

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China energy security

China’s shipping firms brace for a new ‘era of chaos’ as Iran war drags on

Chinese shipping giants are signing long contracts and rejigging their networks, as they hedge against prolonged disruptions to global trade routes.

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US-China relations

China’s study of Ukraine, Iran wars could sharpen Taiwan propaganda tactics

Beijing’s study of Iran, Ukraine wars could help hone its ability to wage information warfare against the US during a Taiwan Strait crisis.

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US experts say that China could potentially weaponise social media during a Taiwan Strait conflict and spread disinformation. Photo: Shutterstock
US, Israel war on Iran

US-Iran peace optimism fuels Asian stock market gains

Asian markets surge on hopes for an end to US-Iran conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, even with many risks still hanging over markets.

A pro-government billboard in Tehran, Iran, depicts the closed Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | How China-Gulf ties can turn energy vulnerability into sustainability

Hormuz tensions are a reminder to start building a better, more sustainable energy order before the next crisis hits; Hong Kong can help.

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China's military weapons

Will new Saudi-Pakistan defence pact give Chinese arms risk-free exposure?

Islamabad’s elevated stature in Middle East security could make it ‘the operational face of Chinese defence systems’ via regional deployment.

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Iran

Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi to visit China days ahead of Donald Trump

Foreign Minister Araghchi will arrive on Wednesday and hold talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Beijing has announced.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Beijing in April 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Israel-Iran conflict

How lost Yiddish songs from a Ukrainian ghetto revive links to Shanghai’s past

The city, once home to thousands of Jewish refugees, will be one of the first places in East Asia where the songs are brought back to life.

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Songwriter and musician Psoy Korolenko and the University of Toronto’s Anna Shternshis led the project to bring the songs to life. Photo: Daniel Rosenberg
United States

How 2 Iranian brothers in China use ancient music as a bridge through wartime

Amid deep geopolitical uncertainty, the Beijing workshop of Majid and Massoud Shamaeezadah preserves and shares Persian culture.

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China energy security

Why China may benefit from the UAE’s Opec withdrawal

Beijing may have access to increased supply – though Strait of Hormuz disruption remains a serious constraint, analysts say.

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Iran

China’s calls to open Hormuz show the limits of its ties to Iran, experts say

While Beijing has long seen Tehran as a useful partner, the nation is not crucial to its Middle East strategy, analysts argue.

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China’s representative Fu Cong at the UN headquarters in New York on April 7. China’s diplomatic statements are seen to indicate the delicate balance it is striking between rhetorical solidarity with Iran and its regional economic interests. Photo: Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s foreign minister returns to Pakistan after Trump cancels envoys’ trip

Tehran pursues urgent regional coordination as US president orders his negotiators to stay home.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran digs in as US envoys Kushner and Witkoff head to Pakistan for more talks

Trapped in the Persian Gulf, ship crews run low on food, water – and mental health reserves.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | China can offer Gulf states more than just a security umbrella

As threat perceptions reset, Gulf states are likely to pursue a dual track of restrained regional policy and diversified partnerships.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Diplomacy

Editorial | Saudi leader’s phone call to Xi Jinping shows shifting global power balance

For long-time US ally Riyadh to seek out China suggests a growing lack of conviction among countries that the US alone can shape the global order.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh, on December 8, 2022. Photo: AFP
US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | How China’s patient diplomacy can help secure peace in Iran

China’s diplomacy, backed by leverage and guarantees of assistance, could provide a template for contemporary conflicts where a single side cannot carry the day.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Shifting Saudi ties: what role could China take after Iran war is over?

Caught between Washington and Tehran, Riyadh may shift towards self-reliance and diversifying partnerships, observers note.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s diplomacy succeeds even if it doesn’t bring Middle East peace

From Beijing’s perspective, diplomacy is remarkably effective in advancing China’s regional interests and differentiating it from the US.

On July 23, 2024, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosts the signing of the Beijing Declaration among Palestinian factions including Fatah and Hamas at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Photo: Pool via AP
Iran

Xi Jinping says Strait of Hormuz should be open in call with Saudi crown prince

Chinese leader says there must be an ‘immediate and comprehensive ceasefire’ and backs diplomatic solution to crisis.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to the Saudi crown prince on Monday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Lesson for China? Iran’s low-cost 358 missile takes out million-dollar US assets

Price of successful ‘drone killer’ said to be one-tenth that of conventional air-defence munitions with comparable range and firepower specs.

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China manufacturing

Iran war energy shock sees Chinese firms recalibrate overseas expansion plans

Businesses are rethinking short-term strategies as they adapt to rising costs and slowing growth across major economies.

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