Hot take: China’s reach in the region still has limits
China has long had a two-track approach to the Middle East and North Africa: racking up public-relations points with "Belt and Road" business and infrastructure deals, but staying out of security and political issues.
Wang’s three deliverables. This past week, however, was different. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s regional tour — which included stops in Saudi Arabia, Turkey (see below), Iran, and the United Arab Emirates — revealed a more assertive posture:
- In Abu Dhabi, he announced a partnership with the UAE to produce up to 200 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to fight COVID-19.
- In Riyadh, he enunciated a five-point regional security proposal that addressed both the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the Iran nuclear deal.
- In Tehran, he signed a 25-year cooperation agreement under which Iran will sell oil to China in return for the promise of hundreds of millions of dollars in Chinese investment.
Not so fast. China may sense an opening in the Middle East, given the priority the Biden administration has placed on human rights — which could complicate already scratchy ties with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — and the perpetually thorny talks to restart the Iran nuclear deal.
But there are limits to China’s reach.
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