China raise tone, would it, after a month and a half of conflict? President Xi Jinping responded to developments in the Middle East war on Tuesday, April 14, during a meeting with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Khaled ben Mohammed ben Zayed Al Nahyan. “Preserving the authority of international law should not mean using it when it suits us, and rejecting it when it doesn’t,” criticized the leader, two days after Donald Trump announced the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran claimed on Friday to have “completely opened” it for the rest of the ceasefire.
[Ambiguous diplomacy On the first day of the war, Chinese diplomacy quickly denounced the first Israeli-American strikes against Tehran, condemning “a violation of international law.” The death of the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, “constitutes a serious violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security,” it added, calling for respect for the “basic standards governing international relations.”
By defending “the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of all countries in the Gulf,” Beijing shows “timid support” towards its Iranian partner, according to Marc Julienne, director of the Asia Center at Ifri. “Taking a firm stand on Tehran’s side could potentially alienate other partners: the Gulf countries” affected by Iranian reprisals. China also does not want to worsen its relations with the United States, amid a ‘warming’ [of relations] between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.]
In the conflict between Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran, China has presented a five-point plan with the help of Pakistan to “restore peace and stability” in the Middle East. The initiative, presented at the end of March, urged the belligerents to immediately cease hostilities, engage in peace negotiations, and ensure, among other things, the security of civilian infrastructure.
After the failure of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Pakistan, Xi Jinping promised on Tuesday that his country would “continue to play a constructive role” in restarting the talks.
“There is a lack of experience in China in crisis mediation,” Marc Julienne believes. “For me, Pakistan is a leader in these negotiations.”
[Economic interests in Iran and the Gulf This image of a mediator is also explained by China’s significant and diverse interests in the Middle East, from Iran to the Gulf countries. “It has good relations with each party,” notes Marc Julienne. “Talking, trading with everyone, is China’s golden rule, its advantage in the Middle East. It is important for Beijing to preserve this,” according to Marc Julienne, director of the Asian center at the French Institute of International Relations to franceinfo.]
“Iran represents 13-14% of China’s total oil imports. For the entire Gulf region, it is around 50%,” specifies Marc Julienne.
In this context, Donald Trump’s naval blockade of the strategic zone described by Donald Trump did not sit well with his major rival. This time, the statements hardened, with Guo Jiakun, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denouncing during a press conference “dangerous and irresponsible behavior.”
“China is experiencing this situation,” observes Marc Julienne, with consequences on the domestic front, as “the price of oil has increased.”
It was also one of the countries participating in the conference organized on Friday by France and the United Kingdom to restore free movement in the area.
[Donald Trump dreams of Chinese cinnabartherapy While China can foresee, the United States appear determined not to let it act behind the scenes. Sources close to intelligence services have told CNN that Beijing intends to sell weapons to Iran to fight American and Israeli forces.
In an interview with Fox Business, Donald Trump affirmed on Wednesday that he had written to Xi Jinping to demand that he not go in this direction. In response, his counterpart assured him that “that is not what he is doing,” reported the billionaire. Two days earlier, Guo Jiakun had dismissed “baseless slanders” and “malicious accusations.”
Marc Julienne remains “very cautious” about what would constitute a “very significant change” on the part of China.]
>> An article to read in full on the France Info website.
