Published by the Observer Research Foundation.
While Beijing’s foreign policy is not focused on the Middle East, its footprint in the region is expanding. Many of China’s short-term aims, such as securing energy, have remained unchanged since the Cold War, but the country’s rise on the global stage is increasingly creating a need for a long-term strategy suited to the changing world order. Especially since the start of the Gaza war, this strategy is slowly materialising, with China leveraging tensions with the West to boost its international legitimacy and undermine US dominance. This stance, however, comes with new risks and responsibilities, particularly as the new US administration increasingly focuses on global power competition. As it navigates these geopolitical headwinds, China’s ability to adapt its Middle East playbook to protect its interests will be a crucial test of its broader ambitions on the global stage.