Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

China-Middle East relations

Related Topics:
China-Middle East relations
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China-Middle East relations. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Open Questions series

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

videocam
15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

videocam
5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

videocam
18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

videocam
93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

videocam
40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Zheng Yongnian on what US’ ‘neocolonialism’, Venezuela operation mean for China

videocam
15
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Liu Qian on Chinese innovation, the US rivalry and women holding up half the sky

7
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez Garcia

Fuchsia Dunlop tells how she fell for China’s cuisine and names her perfect dish

videocam
5
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

80 years on from WWII, China’s interests lie in peaceful Asia-Pacific: Mitter

videocam
18
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

‘Delusional’: Jeffrey Sachs on why Western hegemony has ended

videocam
93
Illustration: Henry Wong

Scholar Jing Qian on right-sizing China’s economy in the age of Trump

videocam
40
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE FROM THIS SERIES
Photo: Reuters
2026 Trump-Xi summit

China may snub Trump plea for help in Strait of Hormuz

Beijing will probably see few reasons to help the US reopen a waterway that was closed in response to US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Yuan

Will China’s yuan lift Strait of Hormuz blockade? Analysts urge caution

videocam
15
Two Sessions 2026

‘Win the future’: top China entrepreneurs commit to Middle East despite Iran war

US, Israel war on Iran

US claims Strait of Hormuz will not close, Iran’s new supreme leader ‘wounded’

Few details revealed about measures to restore oil flow as reports indicate the US is now sending amphibious assault ship, Marines to region.

videocam
83
Oil tankers sail near the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s coast on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran’s new supreme leader defies Trump, says Hormuz must stay blocked

In first declaration since his appointment as the country’s new supreme leader, Khamenei demands that US military bases in region must close.

videocam
136
US, Israel war on Iran

In a new age of disorder, is it time for China to rethink non-intervention?

With the Iran crisis, the world is in a ‘jungle phase’ and Beijing should work on interventionism 2.0, government adviser says.

videocam
7
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China's military weapons

Open Questions | War on Iran may spark nuclear arms race, Carnegie scholar says

Zhao Tong says return to law of the jungle signalled by current US actions could spur countries without nuclear weapons to start acquiring them.

videocam
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
US, Israel war on Iran

US warns of possible strikes on Iran ports as Hormuz becomes flashpoint

US military considers civilian ports to be legitimate targets, prompting a threat from Iran that no location in the Gulf would remain safe.

videocam
China trade

China’s oil-import surge seen shielding economy with 120-day buffer

Crude volumes rose sharply in January and February as Beijing amassed reserves, pre-empting Mideast risks, and analysts say it provides a strong buffer for global supply disruptions.

videocam
China energy security

China’s energy defences ease sting of Iran war instability

Reliance on coal power, investments in renewables and a huge oil stockpile will help China weather disruption to global crude supplies stemming from the Iran war.

An oil tanker docked next to storage tanks in Hong Kong. Photo: dpa
US, Israel war on Iran

Ships brandish China links to evade Iran’s attacks in Strait of Hormuz

Vessels are claiming to have an ‘all-Chinese crew’ or ‘Chinese owner’ in a bid to reduce the risk of being targeted.

videocam
Ships sit anchored in Muscat, Oman, on Monday, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

China vows to stabilise oil and gas output in new 5-year plan amid global risks

Amid Mideast instability and US$100 oil, China is mapping out strategic production bases, underpinning long-term energy security.

videocam
Middle East

Open Questions | Strikes on Iran not the biggest threat to China’s belt and road goals: Pan Guang

Mainland academic assesses the risks to Chinese investment and diplomacy in the region and what it means for the other main players.

videocam
8
Two Sessions 2026

Is Trump’s China trip still on? Despite Iran, Wang Yi sees potential

Chinese foreign minister suggests the summit with Xi is still on track and high-level engagement remains key.

videocam
23
A Xi-Trump summit could still be on, despite the turmoil in the Middle East. Photo: Reuters
China trade

Iran war fallout grows as China struggles to import vital fertiliser chemical

Supplies of sulphur – a key fertiliser ingredient – are tightening in China just as the spring planting season begins.

videocam
7
Smoke rises above buildings in Tehran after air strikes on March 1. The escalating conflict in the Middle East is leading to tight supplies of sulphur in China. Photo: Getty Images
Iran

Opinion | US-Iran conflict puts China’s pragmatism to the test

For Beijing, the danger is less about losing Iran as a partner than losing stability in the energy-rich Middle East.

videocam
China energy security

China-Iran relations

China’s ties with Iran are under scrutiny amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
US, Israel war on Iran

Iran thanks Chinese public after US-Israeli air strikes prompt wave of sympathy

Embassy in Beijing says Iran sincerely grateful to ‘the civilised and righteous Chinese people’ but financial aid not needed for now.

videocam
34
A mass funeral ceremony is held on Tuesday for students and staff members killed in a US-Israeli attack on a school in Minab, southern Iran. Civilian deaths have caused particular outrage among people in China. Photo: Handout via Xinhua
US, Israel war on Iran

Open Questions | Iran war’s impact on China limited, scholar Pan Guang says

China’s Middle East position ‘relatively favourable’, professor says, and regional spillover from US-Israeli attacks likely to be limited to Tehran’s Shia militia allies.

videocam
Mainland China

Why China is staying on the sidelines of the US-Iran conflict

Decision based on consideration of Beijing’s own interests as well as its ties with Washington and others, analysts say.

videocam
29
Israel

China urges Israel to end war in Iran as regional tensions escalate

Beijing says US-Israeli strikes were in bad faith and calls for an immediate halt, a return to talks and opposition to unilateral action.

videocam
68
Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran on Tuesday following air strikes by Israel and the US. Photo: WANA via Reuters
Middle East

How will China adjust Israel ties as US-led strikes on Iran reshape Middle East?

Beijing is unlikely to abandon ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the region despite killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, analysts say.

videocam
Men inspect the ruins of a police station on Tuesday in Tehran, Iran. Photo: AP
China trade

Not just oil: Iran war disrupts China’s imports of key industrial material

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is choking off China’s imports of methanol – a vital input for the country’s industrial sector.

videocam
14
Two Sessions 2026

Will Iran feature in foreign policy talks at China’s ‘two sessions’?

The focus is on economics and the five-year plan but the turmoil could prompt a rethink in some areas, analysts say.

videocam
5
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says Iran war could last a month or longer as conflict widens

Trump administration says the ‘hardest hits are yet to come’ for Iran, as Tehran and its allies hit back across the region.

videocam
157
US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Why the US-Israel war with Iran leaves Asian economies exposed

Mainland China imports vast amounts of oil from the Middle East but India, South Korea and others could fare worse, analysts say.

videocam
Tanker traffic has largely halted on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman along Iran’s southern coast. The disruption is expected to hit global crude supply. Photo: Reuters
China energy security

Why the Iran war will accelerate China’s push to become an ‘energy powerhouse’

The conflict does not pose an immediate threat to China’s oil supply, but will spur on the country’s energy security drive, analysts say.

videocam
5
US-Iran tensions

Iran attack a ‘wake-up call’ for China on electronic warfare and intelligence

Retired PLA colonel urges China to watch out for ‘internal infiltration and intelligence leaks’ and boost ‘security around critical targets’.

videocam
8
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement