
China's Middle East Balancing Act — Peace plans, pragmatism and economic prospects
From China In Context by SOAS China Institute
May 6, 2026 · 36 min · Season 6 · Episode 207
About this episode
The episode discusses China's response to the Middle East conflict and its implications for diplomacy and economics.
The war in the Middle East has affected China in many ways: as well as targeting Iran, a country with which Beijing has a comprehensive strategic partnership, it has disrupted exports, rattled consumer confidence, and forced the Chinese government to step in to protect consumers from the worst of rising petrol prices. Yet some believe Beijing may benefit from the damage to US global credibility, and China has sought to highlight its role as a responsible diplomatic player, proposing a joint p...
Topics covered
- China
- Middle East
- diplomacy
- economics
- politics
- consumer confidence
Keywords
- China
- Middle East
- Iran
- US credibility
- diplomatic player
- economic prospects
- consumer protection
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: China, Iran, Beijing, US
Places: Middle East
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