China Hits Middle East with Diplomatic Blitz over Strait of Hormuz Closures

The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that it would be deploying a host of diplomats to critical Middle East countries in the next month to strengthen its economic and political position in the region, particularly in the context of the ongoing commercial shipping interruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed to reporters that the Communist Party would send senior diplomats throughout the Middle East and eastern Africa, specifically to visit the governments of Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Egypt, and Eritrea. This diplomatic effort will follow the first-ever visit by the sultan of Oman, Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said, to Beijing, who was feted at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People by dictator Xi Jinping himself on Monday. Oman sits on the opposite side of the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, making it a critical power in ensuring freedom of navigation in the oil-rich commercial byway.

China represented the largest share of goods transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to Asia before Operation Epic Fury, the American mission that resulted in the elimination of Iranian dictator Ali Khamenei and prompted Iran to begin attacking random commercial ships in the Strait. It is still believed to be the largest consumer of goods traveling through the strait, though Beijing has attempted to redirect shipments and find new sources for its critical goods, particular oil. For example, the Chinese government debuted a plan for an “Arctic Silk Road” this year to avoid transiting goods through the Strait of Hormuz and has dramatically increased its oil imports from Brazil, a nation that already enjoys a rare trade surplus with the world’s second-largest economy. While these moves have helped China survive the current conflict economically, the Communist Party has made clear that, in the long term, it expects Iran and its proxies to stop disrupting trade in the region to China’s detriment.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning described a major deployment of diplomatic muscle into the region in November, stating that Beijing sought to play a “constructive role” in ensuring peace.

“Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun will visit Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early and mid-November; Special Representative of the Chinese Government on African Affairs Liu Xianfa will visit Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Egypt in early and mid-November;” she detailed, “and Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Hu Changchun will visit Eritrea in early November.”

“These shuttle diplomacy visits in this period of time by Chinese special envoys and special representative are aimed at promoting peace talks, easing tensions, and playing a constructive role for upholding regional peace and stability,” Mao explained.

While future visits to the Middle East were confirmed, Xi personally welcomed Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman and emphasized in his comments during their bilateral meeting that the Chinese Communist Party expects peace to return to the region “at an early date.” Xi celebrated the sultan’s visit, the first in the history of the two countries, and expressed hope that it would resulted in an expanded Chinese presence in Oman and a closer bilateral relationship.

“He [Xi] said China and Oman should enhance political mutual trust and strengthen exchanges of experience in national governance,” state media shared, “while expressing China’s support for Oman in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, security, and stability, and in independently exploring a development path suited to its national conditions.”

Xi also issued a veiled criticism of the ongoing conflict between Iran and America, emphasizing that China does not want the Middle East to “become an arena for major power rivalry or geopolitical conflicts.”

“China has been actively committed to ending hostilities and promoting peace, aiming to contribute its wisdom and solutions to resolving the regional security predicament,” Xi was quoted as saying.

Xi also notably said China hopes to see more efforts in the Middle East towards “good-neighborliness,” a quality notably absent in the relationship between Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbors. While Xi and the Chinese government generally have been more strongly critical of the United States and its actions against terrorism in the Middle East, the dictator has previously not restrained himself in calling for the Iranian terror state, a nominal Chinese ally, to stop disrupting commerce that affects China.

Another high-profile China-Middle East meeting took place on Monday: Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting in Beijing with Iranian Security Council representative Ali Bagheri Kani. Chinese state media gave this meeting less fanfare than the historic visit by the Omani sultan and hinted, although only obliquely, that Wang essentially badgered Bagheri Kani to pressure Iran to act more directly in China’s interests.

Wang, according to the state-run Chinese newspaper Global Times, “said that China will follow the initiatives and propositions put forward by President Xi Jinping on easing the situation in the Middle East and work together with all parties continuously to restore regional peace.” The newspaper did not elaborate on what exactly that meant.

“As conflicts in the Middle East drag on and risk further spillover, dialogue and negotiation remain the only viable path forward,” the South China Morning Post, an independent Hong Kong newspaper, quoted Wang as saying. “All parties should… focus on a political settlement in a rational and pragmatic spirit instead of resorting once again to armed conflict.”

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