Explainer

King Abdullah visits China as region hedges against US unpredictability

With no end in sight to the war in Iran and an unchecked Israeli policy across the region, the kingdom is hedging against future uncertainty and a less predictable US policy.

Joyce Karam , Rosaleen Carroll

Aug 20, 2026

Add AL-MONITOR on Google

You're reading an excerpt from Al-Monitor China-Middle East, where we analyze China's deepening engagement with the region. To get this newsletter in your inbox weekly, sign up here.

As the Middle East absorbs the ongoing fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war, China’s appeal is growing even among Washington’s closest regional partners.

Governments across the region are looking to Beijing for investment, technology and, increasingly, security cooperation. Egypt has expanded defense ties with China, while Gulf states are pursuing Chinese military and economic deals.

This week, Jordanian King Abdullah II joined the crowd, traveling to China for a weeklong stay, his first state visit there in more than a decade.

His trip does not necessarily signal a Jordanian pivot away from the United States. Rather, it reflects a broader regional recalibration. US partners are looking for more economic options and greater strategic room to maneuver in an increasingly uncertain regional environment.

A week across China

King Abdullah’s Aug. 18–24 visit kicked off in Shanghai and includes stops in Beijing and Shenzhen. It is his ninth trip to China since becoming king in 1999 and his first since 2015, when Jordan and China established a strategic partnership.

In Shanghai on Tuesday, the Jordanian monarch met executives from Chinese companies involved in pharmaceuticals, food, engineering, agriculture and aviation, according to a readout from........

© Al Monitor