In January, China’s President Xi Jinping visited Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. His visit is a sign of China’s growing involvement in the Muslim Middle East, as Alon Levkowitz writes:
[O]ver the past decade, China has become the second largest trading partner of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The lifting of sanctions on Iran will allow China to . . . become its biggest trading partner. This has clear implications for Saudi Arabia, which is China’s main supplier of crude oil. As soon as Iran is able to export, China will be able to diversify. . . .
The warmth exhibited by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei toward China during President Xi’s visit to Iran suggests the potential for a greater role down the road for Beijing in the geopolitics of the region. . . .
It is worth noting that despite Beijing’s protestations that it does not intend to get deeply involved in the Middle East, China offers an appealing alternative: Beijing is understood to have no intention of sending military forces to the region the way Moscow or Washington would, but has veto leverage at the UN Security Council and billions of dollars available for investment. China therefore has the capacity to change the Middle East balance of power in the long run. . . .
The Israeli government should, accordingly, continue to improve its economic and political relations with China. But Israel should not lose sight of the constant tension between Washington and Beijing on issues in Asia.
Read more on BESA Center: http://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/implications-of-greater-china-involvement-in-the-mideast/