Since the US-Israel war against Iran began, China’s foreign minister has kept close communications with his Middle Eastern counterparts, and a special Chinese envoy has been deployed to the region for mediation.

China’s move delivers an explicit message: let peace return. Although the war is not taking place at China’s doorstep, China is probably as concerned as regional countries about the escalation in tensions. Iran is a major partner of China in the Middle East.

Between the two sides, there is a 25-year cooperation agreement signed a few years ago. In addition, there is cooperation between Beijing and Tehran under multilateral platforms such as the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. When Iran is at war with two foreign powers, the situation has a negative impact on many aspects of China-Iran cooperation, especially if the conflict leads to instability and chaos in Iran. However, it is not just direct China-Iran collaboration that is at stake. The war’s spillover could affect China’s overall business ties with the Middle East.

According to analysis by a think tank affiliated with China’s commerce ministry, China’s investment in Arab nations grew 260%in the decade ending in 2024. China has also been the Arab world’s largest trading partner for many years in a row, with trade volume exceeding $400 billion in 2024. Both sides have a great expectation for the second China-Arab Summit that will be held in China this year. Turbulence in the Middle East is the last thing China wants to see ahead of the summit. At a time when the Strait of Hormuz has become a choking point for global energy supplies, China can’t stay immune. As much as 40% of China’s oil imports are shipped through the waterway.

Although so far China has been reportedly less affected by the disruption compared to other Asian economies,it’s hard to imagine that a protracted war won’t deal a heavy blow to China. Judging from the strong momentum of China’ exports throughout 2025 and the first two months of this year, external demand continues to play an important role in driving China’s economic growth.

If the Iran conflict casts a shadow on the global economy, weak international demand will pose a challenge to China’s economy. In the wake of the war’s outbreak, China has adopted carefully calibrated diplomatic language that condemns attacks on civilians, calls for restraint, and appeals for dialogue.

Some analysts have described it as limited response from Beijing, which they say undermines previous narratives that China’s influence in the Middle East was rising.

From a different perspective, however, Beijing’s response exactly shows us that China isn’t interested in competing with any power for influence in the Middle East, which is a message China has been sending all along. China’s wisdom lies in the belief that the more precarious a situation becomes, the more a cool head is needed. Diplomacy is the art of maturity, rather than adding coal to fire.

If China’s wholehearted call for restraint is regarded as a sign of weakness and cowardice, this interpretation is morally irresponsible for the civilians suffering from bombings and air strikes.

It is also far-fetched to suggest that a situation where the US gets embroiled in another war in the Middle East will end up benefiting China strategically. In terms of China-US ties, China’s priority is to stabilize this important relationship so that there can be mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.

It’s probably true that strategic competition is part of Washington’s China policy, but China has no intention to challenge or replace the US on global stage. This is how China views this relationship regardless of how much resources and attention the US places on containing China. China hasn’t fought a war for decades because China knows it well that any war will inflict a huge catastrophe on innocent civilians.

If China hoped to receive reduced pressure from the US at the cost of the well being of people in the Middle East, that mindset would be highly inconsistent with the country’s vision for a community of shared future for humanity.

In fact, it’s even questionable to argue that China benefited from the past US wars in the Middle East. The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq paved the way for the rise of the Islamic State later on, and multiple sources of analysis have indicated that the ISIS posed additional challenges and complexities to the counter-terrorism efforts in China’s Xinjiang.

For decades, balanced diplomacy and non-interventionism have been the key characteristics of China’s Middle East policy. This is the best manifestation of China’s genuine commitment to peace in the region. Since the Iran war began, some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly declared themselves as China-linked to try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks. We saw the same scenario when Yemen’s Houthis attacked Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea to show support for Palestinians. Both cases reflect China’s good reputation in the region.

The reality is that China is one of the few external powers, if not the only one, that don’t have a foe in the Middle East. This is why China was able to broker the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023.

The warming of ties between Tehran and Riyadh had gone very well until the US and Israel launched the war against Iran. Tehran’s retaliation targeting US assets in the Gulf region has brought about new uncertainties in Iran’s relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. As the world watches this trend happen, China is probably one of the most heartbroken countries.

That said,China alone is by no means capable of restoring peace. No single power can. The US wants China to help address the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz. Frankly, China can’t convince Iran to stop its actions at the waterway if Iran faces continued attacks from the US and Israel. Washington and Tel Aviv are fighting an illegal and poorly supported war.

When it comes to when and how the war will end, the ball is largely in the court of the parties that started it. China, on its part, stands ready to work with relevant countries in creating conditions for the resumption of political dialogues.

Beijing-based radio host and

© Pakistan Observer