China's top diplomat to visit Middle East this week

BEIJING: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a tour of the Middle East on Friday for bilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Beijing said Thursday.

Wang will visit from 12 to 16 December for talks with foreign ministers “to exchange views on bilateral relations, the situation in the Middle East and major issues of common concern”, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Beijing has strengthened its trade and diplomatic relations with the Middle East in recent years, countering longstanding US influence in the region.

“China expects that through this visit, it can consolidate political mutual trust with the three countries,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

Beijing has sought to frame itself as a mediator in the Middle East, facilitating a 2023 rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and portraying itself as a more neutral actor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than its rival the United States.

China is also focusing on the Middle East as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, a vast global infrastructure project developed over the last decade under President Xi Jinping.