YE Zhangxu
(He is a research assistant at the Center for Turkish Studies at Shanghai University)
Shortly after the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of CPC, which focused on Chinese economic reforms, China once again made new achievements in the field of diplomacy in the Middle East. At the invitation of China, Palestinian factions held a reconciliation dialogue in Beijing from July 21 to 23. After the dialogue, 14 factions including Fatah and Hamas signed the Beijing declaration on ending division and strengthening national unity of Palestine. Compared with last year’s promotion of the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, this time it is to promote reconciliation within the Palestinian state, which is of great significance for further resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
It is undeniable that successful mediation diplomacy can further enhance China’s international reputation in this region, but on the other hand, it also highlights China’s proactive diplomatic approach and demonstrates to the outside world China’s willingness, ability, and methods to carry out mediation diplomacy in the Middle East.
How willing is China to engage in mediation diplomacy?
For a long time in the past, China focused on economic construction and its participation in Middle East affairs was far less than that of the United States, Russia, the European Union and other countries or international organizations. The rise of Chinese economy has brought about a rise in diplomacy to a large extent, which means that China’s willingness to participate in Middle East affairs is also increasing. However, Western media often portrays it as China’s strategic ambition in international affairs. In fact, China’s participation in the security governance and conflict management in the Middle East is based on the good intention of equality and mutual benefit.
For China, the starting point of diplomacy is still to safeguard national interests. On the one hand, it is to maintain China’s oil security. Since importing oil from Middle East countries in 1993, China’s demand for oil and gas resources in the Middle East has continued to grow, and will continue to maintain high growth demand for a long time to come. Therefore, promoting peace and stability in the Middle East is to ensure China’s energy security. On the other hand, it is to promote the economic development between China and the Middle East. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013 has now covered all countries in the Middle East, and the vast majority of countries also have relevant economic development strategies to cooperate with the BRI. These two aspects can be summarized as security and development, which can also be said to be the important “secret” for China’s rise. As a responsible major country, China deeply understands the demands for security and development in the long-term turbulent Middle East region.
In addition, from the perspective of the broader context of the China-US rivalry, the repeated hyping up of China’s involvement in Middle East affairs by the United States is to fill the “power vacuum of great powers”, while China hopes to implement the Global Security Initiative through a series of effective diplomatic mediation to distinguish itself from the United States’ incitement in this region.
How Capable is China in Conducting Mediation Diplomacy?
Accompanying widespread conflicts are frequent mediations. Previously, both Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as Palestinian factions, have accepted mediation from extra-regional major powers and regional countries, but often without significant progress. The successful cases of Saudi-Iran reconciliation and Palestinian internal reconciliation prove that China can conduct mediation diplomacy independently in the Middle East from both its soft and hard power perspectives.
In terms of hard power, China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and is at the forefront of both military and economic power in the world. However, unlike the US, which emphasizes power and hegemony, China’s foreign policy prioritizes peace and cooperation in both the military and economic spheres. In the military realm, China is not only the second-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping funds but also the country that dispatches the most peacekeeping personnel among the permanent members of the Security Council. In the economic realm, China is almost the largest trading partner of most countries in the Middle East, and has been increasing investment in infrastructure, renewable energy and other sectors in the Middle East through the BRI.
In terms of soft power, although China’s involvement in Middle Eastern affairs started relatively late, it has two advantages over Western countries in conducting mediation diplomacy. First, China does not carry the burden of a colonial history in relation to Middle Eastern countries, but rather a history of civilization exchange along the Silk Road from ancient to now. Second, China’s foreign policy has inherited the ancient wisdom of “Harmony Is Most Precious”, which enables China to maintain good relations with all countries in the Middle East and do not take a side in various conflicts.
What are the Successful Methods of China’s Mediation Diplomacy?
Promoting reconciliation between Saudi-Iran, and Palestine factions, where there have been long-standing serious differences, is not easy. Besides good intentions and strong capabilities, China also needs effective methods, some of which I believe are crucial:
First, choosing the right timing. Before the Saudi-Iran talks in Beijing, both countries had a willingness to negotiate and had conducted multiple rounds of contacts under the mediation of relevant countries. China, to some extent, acted in line with the trend. Regarding the Palestinian issue, the Gaza conflict over the past 9 months has caused severe damage to Hamas and other factions, and they are increasingly realizing that the key to solving the problem is the “two-state solution,” which has long been advocated by China to the international community. The premise for achieving the “two-state solution” is internal reconciliation.
Second, fully respecting the parties being mediated. One of China’s core principles in foreign policy is non-interference in internal affairs. On this basis, China advocates promoting peace talks through consultation and dialogue, which contrasts sharply with the US’s usual “hard mediation”. One notable point about “Beijing Declaration” is that past internal Palestinian reconciliation mainly focused on Hamas and Fatah, but this time the declaration was signed by 14 Palestinian political factions. This is very similar to China’s ethnic policy, which is that the attention paid to some ethnic minorities is not ignored because of their small number.
Third, proposing practical solutions. Before conducting mediation diplomacy, China has already proposed Chinese solutions to address Middle Eastern hotspot issues at different levels. At the macro level, there is the concept of a global community of shared future and the “three major global initiatives”. At the specific level, China has proposed a five-point proposal on realizing peace and stability in the Middle East, a four-point proposal for the political settlement of the Syrian issue, and a three-point thought on implementing the “two-state solution” for Palestine and Israel. More importantly, at the signing ceremony of the “Beijing Declaration”, Foreign Minister Wang Yi further proposed a “three-step” Chinese initiative regarding the ongoing Gaza conflict. These initiatives and policies have not only received widespread recognition in the Middle Eastern society but also provided a guideline for China’s participation in Middle Eastern security governance.
As mentioned earlier, the Middle East has always been a focal point for international mediation. The process of promoting reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran and Palestine factions has not been smooth. Many countries naturally hope to enhance their international status through mediation diplomacy, but willingness is one thing, capability and methods are another, and China possesses all three. After the signing of the “Beijing Declaration”, the international community, especially the Middle East, held a positive evaluation, but we still need to view it cautiously. As many Chinese scholars who research the Middle East issue have pointed out, reconciliation cannot be permanently resolved by a single declaration. It is also worth pondering how to maintain the lasting vitality of the declaration.
