China in the Gulf: Tried Its Best, You Know the Rest

Beijing is rather reluctant to get deeply involved in intra-regional politics in the Middle East, as this could provoke new tensions with the U.S. The current escalation in the Middle East has been described by many as a test of influence for China. For example, the media repeatedly suggested that the United States asked China to put pressure on Iran during the latest rounds of escalation, especially after the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Yet, if compared to Qatari,...