SINGAPORE—China sought to pitch itself as a friendlier global power to governments in the Middle East this week. With the Biden administration facing heavy domestic and international criticism over its handling of the Gaza war, China sees an opportunity to promote its brand of foreign policy to leaders in the region. But, despite the blowback against the U.S. over its support for Israel, the Gaza conflict has shown that Washington remains the preeminent foreign power in the Middle East. Chinese officials have leaned more heavily into this role since the Gaza war broke out last year, intensifying a diplomatic outreach to the Arab world. Beijing believes that “the masters of the Middle East are the people of this region, and the problems of this region must be solved by the people of this region," Deng said.

Source: Wall Street Journal June 01, 2024 17:16 UTC