WiththeUnitedStates"strategicpresenceshrinkingintheMiddleEastandRussiaoccupiedwiththeUkraineconflict,Chinahasplayedanincreasinglyprominentroleintheregion.AndsinceArabcountriesnowattachgreatervaluetorelationswithChina,theregionisboundtobecomeanincreasinglyimportantplatformforChina"sdiplomacy.

ChinaisastakeholderinthegeopoliticsoftheMiddleEast,wheremostArabcountriesare,becausetheregionconnectsfiveimportantwaterways,hasbeenabattlegroundformilitarystrategiststhroughouthistoryandservedasabridgebetweenChinaandEuropeontheancientSilkRoad.Thankstoitsextremelyimportantgeographicalposition,theArabianregionisboundtobeabufferbetweenChinaandtheUnitedStatesandEurope.

TheArabiccivilizationintheMiddleEast,theConfuciancivilizationofChinaandtheWesternChristiancivilizationrepresentedbyEuropeandtheUSaretogethercalledthegreattriangleofworldcivilizations.

【資料圖】

Thesecivilizationshaveblended,butalsocollided,witheachotherduringexchanges,whiledevelopingtogetheraswellasrestrictingeachother.Inaprocesslastingmorethan1,000years,10ethnicgroupsinChinaconvertedtoIslam,thusaddinganotherdiverseelementtotheChinesenationandcivilization.Thisshowsthatmembersofdifferentcivilizationscanlivetogetherinpeaceandresolvetheirdifferencesthroughdialogue.

AsanimportantpartofthedevelopingworldandtheNon-AlignedMovement,MiddleEastcountrieshaveplayed(andareplaying)averyimportantroleinthedevelopmentofChina"sdiplomacyandmultilateralrelations.ThatNewChinacouldbreaktheWesterndiplomaticboycottandblockade,returntotheUnitedNationsandbecomeanimportantplayerintheinternationalpoliticalarenawasmadepossiblepartlyduetotheunderstandingandsupportoftheMiddleEastcountries.

Inrecentyears,ChinaandtheArabcountrieshavereachedmanyconsensusesonissuessuchashumanrights,democratizationofinternationalrelations,andbuildingamultipolarworldorder.WhenitcomestoChina"scoreinterests,nomatterhowmanydifferencestheMiddleEastcountrieshave,thefourmajorplayers—Arabcountries,Turkey,IsraelandIran—havealwaysunderstoodChina"spositionandsupportedit,whichmakestheregionChina"scorebaseontheinternationalstage.

Withlimitedresources,relativelyinsufficientworkforceandunbalancedeconomicdevelopment,theregioniseconomicallycomplementarytoChina.China"sinitialoverseasengineeringprojectsandlaborexportsincethelaunchofreformandopening-upallpositionedtheArabregionasthemainmarket.SuchexchangeshelpedincreaseChina"sforeignexchangeearnings,madeitmorefamiliarwithinternationalrulesandconsolidateditsdiplomaticrelationswithothercountries.

TheChina-Arabregionaltradevolumehasincreasedbynearly80times—fromlessthan$3billionin1990toabout$300billionin2021—andChinahasbecomethelargesttradingpartneroftheregion.

Inparticular,theBeltandRoadInitiativehasacceleratedtwo-wayeconomic,tradeandinvestmentactivities.Forexample,ChinaishelpingEgypt"sindustrializationandSaudiArabia"seconomicdiversification,whileimprovingtheoveralldevelopmentlevelintheMiddleEast.

Also,ChinaisthelargestimporterofoilandgasfromtheMiddleEast,whichholds70percentand50percentoftheglobaloilandnaturalgasreserves.

SinceChinabecameanetimporterofoilin1993,itsenergyimportshavedoubledevery10years,ofwhich60percentcomesfromtheMiddleEast.In2021,China"stotaloilimportsreached51,298millionmetrictons,withtheMiddleEastaccountingfor51.25percentofthat,withtheexceptionofIran,whichonceaccountedforahighpercentageofChina"senergyimportsbuthasbeenforcedtodrasticallycutoilexportsduetoUSsanctions.

ChinahassuggestedwaystoresolveorreduceconflictsintheMiddleEast.Itistheonlymajorcountrythathasnorecordofcolonization,orstaginginvasionorproxywarsintheMiddleEast.Ithasalwaysbelievedthatitisthepeoplewhoshoulddecidethefateoftheircountry,andcountriesshouldsettletheirdisputesthroughpeacefultalks.

AtthebeginningoftheGulfWarin1990,Chinaworkedasamediator,tryingtopersuadeSaddamHussein"sgovernmenttoenditsoccupationofKuwaitandavoidwar.In2002,ChinaappointeditsfirstMiddleEastspecialenvoydedicatedtomediatingbetweenthePalestiniansandIsraelistohelpresolvetheirdisputes.In2003beforetheIraqWar,itadvocatedpeacefulresolution,buttheUS,theUnitedKingdomandotherUSalliesstillresortedtomilitarymeans.AndwhentheLibyancrisisbrokeoutin2011,ChinaacceptedthedecisionoftheLeagueofArabStatesanddidn"tvetoSecurityCouncilResolution1973,andaskedtheLibyangovernmentandoppositiontosettletheirdisputesthroughtalks.

ButChina,alongwithRussia,useditsvetopowersintheSecurityCouncilmanyatimewhenitcametotheSyriancrisis,inordertothwarttheWest"sattemptstosubvert,evenoverthrow,thelegitimateSyriangovernment.MostdispensationsintheMiddleEast,includingtheSyriangovernmentandtheopposition,laudedChinaforitsefforts.Chinahasalsoplayedthemediator"sroleintheconflictbetweenSudanandSouthSudan,somethingwhichothermajorpowershavenotdone.

Chinaisstronglyagainstextremism,violenceandterrorism,butithasparticipatedinonlyjustifiedanti-terrorismoperationsintheMiddleEast,reflectingitsrespectformulticulturalismandthevalueswhichothercivilizationsholdhigh.ItalsodemonstratesChina"sbeliefintheprinciplethatextremismandterrorismarenotassociatedwithaspecificethnicgrouporfaith.

Asamatteroffact,Chinaadvocatesthatglobalcooperationtofightterrorismbebasedoninternationallawandrespectforthesovereigntyanddignityofallcountries,apositionwhichhasbeenwelcomedbyMiddleEastcountries.

InaccordancewiththeFivePrinciplesofPeacefulCoexistence,Chinaispracticingmajorcountrydiplomacy,playingaresponsibleinternationalrole,andhighlightingtheimportanceofMiddleEastcountries"diplomacyininternationalrelations.

Still,China"sdiplomacyintheMiddleEastisinitsprimarystage.ItlargelylagsbehindthatoftheUSincomprehensivestrength,andRussiaindiplomaticandmilitarycapabilities.Also,itssoftpowerandgeographicalpositionstillcannotrivalthoseofEurope,especiallytheUKandFrance.Therefore,China"scooperationwiththeArabcountriesstillhasalotofpotentialtotap.

TheauthoristhedeanofandaprofessorattheInstituteforStudiesontheMediterraneanRimatZhejiangInternationalStudiesUniversity.Theviewsdon"tnecessarilyreflectthoseofChinaDaily.

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