Foreign & Public Diplomacy

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s China Brief. The highlights this week: Beijing could be poised to mediate in the Iran war if given the diplomatic space, the official GDP growth target announced at the annual two sessions is surprisingly modest, and another China spying scandal emerges in London.

Could Beijing Bring Tehran to the Table?

As the Iran war moves into a second week, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is warning of a spreading conflict and calling for peace. But Beijing has avoided direct criticism of Donald Trump ahead of the U.S. president’s expected visit to China in early April.

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s China Brief. The highlights this week: Beijing could be poised to mediate in the Iran war if given the diplomatic space, the official GDP growth target announced at the annual two sessions is surprisingly modest, and another China spying scandal emerges in London.

Sign up to receive China Brief in your inbox every Tuesday.

Sign up to receive China Brief in your inbox every Tuesday.

Sign up to receive China Brief in your inbox every Tuesday.

By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.

Could Beijing Bring Tehran to the Table?

As the Iran war moves into a second week, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is warning of a spreading conflict and calling for peace. But Beijing has avoided direct criticism of Donald Trump ahead of the U.S. president’s expected visit to China in early April.

That may point to a surprising diplomatic role for China in negotiations during the war, as Weilin Deng and Bernard Haykel  write in Foreign Policy. China has interests in Iran, including investments of around $4 billion. (Claims of $400 billion worth of Chinese investments in the country refer only to the amount that Beijing pledged to invest over a 25-year period in 2021.)

It’s the Strait of Hormuz that is genuinely critical for China, which sources roughly 45 percent of its oil via the Persian Gulf. Beijing’s strategic oil reserves, which could last for around six months, give it some breathing room, but it’s already blocked diesel and gasoline exports.........

© Foreign Policy