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Shi Jiangtao

Qatar on Tuesday vowed to prioritise China’s energy supply and safeguard shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, as both countries coordinated efforts to de-escalate Middle East tensions.
During a meeting in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stressed the importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through the waterway.
Sheikh Mohammed affirmed Doha’s “support for all diplomatic efforts and endeavours aimed at a solution that ensures freedom of maritime navigation and paves the way for reaching a comprehensive agreement that achieves sustainable peace in the region”, the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement.
They also examined key regional developments and the diplomatic efforts under way to de-escalate tensions and promote security and stability there, as well as reviewed strategic bilateral relations and how to expand cooperation, the statement said.


According to a separate read-out by China’s foreign ministry, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar “would overcome difficulties, prioritise China’s energy supply and work hand in hand with China to create a more brilliant next ‘golden decade’ for bilateral relations”, noting Beijing was Doha’s largest trading and energy partner.
Wang said Beijing had always prioritised relations with Qatar in its Middle East diplomacy and that in recent years bilateral strategic partnership had yielded considerable progress, with growing mutual political trust and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation.
“China is Qatar’s most reliable and longest-term partner in its development process,” Beijing’s top diplomat added, calling for consolidating and expanding cooperation in traditional and new energy, investment, advanced technology and people-to-people exchanges.
Noting that China firmly supported Qatar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, security and stability, Wang asserted that Qatar would continue to offer firm support on issues concerning China’s core interests.
He also expressed appreciation for Qatar’s “long-term commitment to mediating hotspot issues” and its contributions to easing disputes and seeking peace, saying Beijing stood ready to maintain communication and coordination with Doha on international and regional affairs.
Sheikh Mohammed also met on Tuesday with founders, chairpersons, and executives of a number of Chinese companies on the meeting’s sidelines, where they discussed cooperative relations, along with a number of topics of common interest, the Gulf Times reported.
The foreign minister-level talks followed Monday’s meeting between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Sheikh Mohammed, who was on an official two-day visit to Beijing aimed at bolstering bilateral ties.
Li pledged to deepen cooperation in energy, investment, artificial intelligence and diplomatic efforts to ease Middle East tensions.
The Chinese premier described Qatar as an important strategic partner in the Gulf and voiced support for Doha’s role mediating regional disputes.
On Tuesday, Wang elaborated on Beijing’s vision for a “new regional security architecture”, echoing a four-point proposal put forward last week by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his state visit to Egypt.
Xi urged regional countries to become “masters of their own destiny”, reject external interference and place economic development at the heart of “regional common security”.




Wang said current tensions in the Middle East and Gulf were seriously affecting the security of regional countries, as well as energy, shipping and supply-chain stability.
“Pressure through the use of force is not the way forward. Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable path.”
Without naming Iran or other Gulf states, Wang said the sovereignty and security of regional countries should be fully respected and the legitimate concerns of all parties properly addressed.
“China is willing … to strengthen communication and coordination with Qatar and other regional parties, support regional countries in taking their future and destiny into their own hands, restore regional peace and stability as soon as possible, and establish a fair and reasonable new regional security architecture,” he added.
Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar appreciated China’s “objective and impartial” position and supported Beijing’s initiatives on promoting Middle East security.
Qatar was willing to strengthen coordination with China to safeguard the security of global energy channels, restore regional peace and stability at an early date, and explore a security architecture that reflected the independent spirit of regional countries, he added.
The discussions took place against the backdrop of continuing regional tensions and diplomatic efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
The push to secure the strait is critical for both countries’ energy security.
Qatar’s LNG exports supply nearly one‑third of China’s demand for liquefied natural gas, while the strait remains a vital chokepoint for global energy flows.
Since 2020, China has been Qatar’s largest trading partner and top export destination, with bilateral trade rising from US$10.6 billion in 2014 to US$24.22 billion in 2024, according to Cao Xiaolin, China’s ambassador to Doha.
In recent months, Qatar has positioned itself as a mediator, maintaining channels with Iran while hosting a major US military presence.
The meetings with Li and Wang highlight the careful balancing act Gulf states continue to perform as they deepen economic and political engagement with Beijing alongside long-standing security ties with Washington.


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Meeting in Beijing concludes official state visit as two sides stress importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through Strait of Hormuz


Meeting in Beijing concludes official state visit as two sides stress importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through Strait of Hormuz.


Qatar’s PM vows to prioritise China’s energy supply amid Middle East tensions

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Meeting in Beijing concludes official state visit as two sides stress importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through Strait of Hormuz

Meeting in Beijing concludes official state visit as two sides stress importance of unimpeded maritime traffic through Strait of Hormuz