Introduction
With shattered homes and broken dreams, the ongoing Hamas-Israel war unfolds a grim story of destruction and humanitarian crisis that demands the world’s attention. In order to de-escalate tensions, the Chinese premier, Xi Jinping, called for a peace conference to resolve the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel on May 30, 2024. He addressed the Arab nations at a forum aimed at fostering ties between China and the Middle East. Some of the Arab leaders’ counterparts that were recently welcomed by Xi in Beijing included Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
At the outset of the meeting between Chinese diplomats and the Arab leaders, Xi said, “Since last October, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated drastically, throwing the people into tremendous sufferings.” He also claimed that China supports full membership of Palestine in the United Nations, and for decades it has promoted a two-state solution for this long-lasting Israel-Palestine conflict.
“War should not continue indefinitely. Justice should not be absent forever.”
Xi Jinping
He emphasized that an immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel should be the top priority to ensure regional stability and peace, along with preventing further wreckage and humanitarian catastrophe. He also added that China will help the Palestinians deal with the humanitarian crisis and post-war rebuilding in Gaza, vowing to provide 500m Yuan ($69 million) in urgent humanitarian assistance. Additionally, he further stated that in order to give immediate assistance to Gaza, Beijing will provide $3 million to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
Moreover, in front of the heads of state of Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Tunisia, as well as foreign ministers from other Arab League nations, the Chinese premier said, “The Middle East holds vast potential for growth, but the war is still raging on it.” This article aims to analyze Xi Jinping’s ambitions behind conducting the Middle East peace conference.
What Are Xi Jinping’s Real Motivations Behind the Peace Conference?
Strategic Positioning & Expanding Influence in the Middle East
The US and European powers have been playing the role of mediators to resolve conflicts and establish peace among various states. But for the last few years, China has also been playing a dominant role as a peace broker, especially in the Middle Eastern region, after the US slightly reduced its presence in the region. For instance, in April, China facilitated unity talks in Beijing between two rival groups of Palestine i.e., Hamas and Al Fatah, to seek reconciliation between them through dialogue.
Moreover, last year, China made a landmark effort to bring the two archrivals of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran, to the negotiation table. Recently, Xi’s initiative to establish peace between Palestine and Israel underscores his strategic ambitions to expand China’s influence in the Middle East. By playing the role of a mediator in regional conflicts, China wants to build up its diplomatic influence in regional conflicts for the sake of safeguarding its economic interests, especially in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This tactic might be viewed as Beijing’s strategy to expand its influence in the Middle East in light of the perceived American withdrawal from the region.
Economic Interests and Energy Security
China indeed plays a significant role as one of the global economic powerhouses and aims to foster strong economic ties with other countries. Another major reason that keeps it involved in the Middle Eastern peace process is its desire to ensure an uninterrupted energy supply to its consumers. China is heavily dependent on the Middle East for its natural gas and oil needs.
Therefore, China is using diplomatic means to bring stability to the region and ensure a smooth flow of energy imports, as they are essential for Beijing’s economic growth. Additionally, new markets may become available for Chinese goods and services by bolstering friendly relations with different Middle Eastern states. For instance, despite UN sanctions, China views Iran as a crucial partner for BRI and fulfilling energy requirements.
China imports oil from Iran and has also invested in several of its infrastructure projects. Moreover, in the recent peace conference, China has also expressed the desire to deepen cooperation with various Arab states in the oil and gas fields, thus posing a challenge to the long-standing Western dominance in the region.
Global Leadership and Soft Power
China may portray itself as a global peace broker that aims to preserve stability worldwide by hosting this peace conference. Unlike other great powers that tend to use hard power (i.e., focus more on utilizing interventionist policies or military strategies), China is using soft power to make itself more attractive to the rest of the world and to improve its position internationally.
Beijing aims to enhance its reputation as a global mediator to garner support from other states to fulfill its larger geopolitical ambitions. According to Camille Lons, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, Beijing views the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict as a golden opportunity to spotlight the hypocrisy of Western powers and promote an alternative world order.
Conclusion
Thus, in the recent Middle Eastern peace conference, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping underscored how China is enhancing its influence and presumed strategic control in a region that has historically been dominated by Western and European powers. In this episode, China intends to build up its image as a global peacemaker and secure its economic interests, notably in the energy sector.
The involvement of China might just add a different perspective to the drive for stability and development in the Middle East, especially in light of the region’s prolonged crisis. China is making a smart move by presenting the region with a limited security option that seeks to undermine the hegemonic power of the United States but not completely displace it.
While the outcomes of these endeavors remain uncertain, it is clear that China’s diplomatic initiatives mark a new shift in the geopolitical landscape with a possible significant impact on international relations, the global economic structure, and even the hierarchal structure of the US-led liberal international order.
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