ME101 Lecture 2: Regional Realignment – Iran-Arab Relations: from Rivalry to Rapproachment

China’s growing footprint in the Middle East culminated in March 2023 when Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a historic rapprochement in Beijing. The PRC was not just the host but directly mediated the final rounds of talks between the two Persian Gulf rivals. Only a few months later, building on the momentum of the KSA-Iran diplomatic success, China doubled down, proposing itself as a mediator between Israel and Palestine. Although Beijing’s unprecedented diplomatic boldness in the region surprised many, it hardly represents a substantial change in the PRC’s strategy in the Middle East. Nor it represents the inception of a new regional security architecture with Chinese characteristics. This presentation will elucidate what is behind China’s diplomatic push, reflecting on how it might or might not interplay with other regional initiatives such as the Abraham Accords and if it is set to change the balance of (external) power in the Middle East.