DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjebm.2025.v12i04.003

Pages: 98-104

Guided by the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence” and the vision of a “Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” and adhering to the “Three Major Initiatives,” China’s Middle East peace diplomacy in the new era has achieved remarkable success. It has not only safeguarded China’s national interests but also contributed to peace and development in the Middle East and the world. The peaceful nature of China’s Middle East diplomacy is mainly reflected in the following aspects: focusing on promoting economic and trade relations, serving the Belt and Road Initiative, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results and common development; developing relationships with Middle East countries in an all-round way, not creating exclusive small circles, not taking sides against another side, and not carving out spheres of influence; actively promoting reconciliation between countries with discordant relations in the Middle East region and internal reconciliation in relevant countries; helping relevant Middle East countries resist foreign interference, safeguard national rights, and uphold the basic norms of international relations and international fairness and justice. However, China’s Middle East diplomacy faces challenges primarily from the United States. Driven by Cold War mentality, zero-sum thinking, and a focus on relative gains, U.S. policies toward China in the region are marked by misperceptions and biases. Initiatives like expanding the Abraham Accords, promoting a Middle East NATO, launching I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, and USA), and proposing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) pose obstacles to China’s diplomatic efforts. Nonetheless, the U.S.’s entrenched pro-Israel stance limits its capacity to undermine China’s peace-oriented approach in the region.