China’sBrokeringoftheSaudi-IranianRapprochementBooststheMiddleEastTrendofPeacefulDevelopment_GuangmingOnlineChina’sBrokeringoftheSaudi-IranianRapprochementBooststheMiddleEastTrendofPeacefulDevelopmentSincetheJointstatementbyChina,SaudiArabiaandIranwasissuedonMarch10,notonlyhaverelationsbetweenSaudiArabiaandIran,whichhavelongbeenatoddsandcutoffforsevenyears,rapidlywarmedupasthetwosidesactivelyinteracttoquicklyrestorediplomaticrelations,butitsspillovereffectisgivingastrongboosttothede-escalationoftensionsintheMiddleEast.Détentebetweenregionalparties,especiallyIranandtheGulfstatesandtheArabworldingeneral,SyriaandtheArabstates,andTurkeyandEgypt,hasbeenaccelerating,andhotspotissueslikethecivilwarinYemen,whichhasbeeninfluencedbySaudiArabiaandIran,havealsocooleddownsignificantly.Asaresult,China’ssuccessfulmediationoftherapprochementisnotonlyde-escalatingtensions,reshapingthepoliticallandscapeandstrategiccultureintheregionthathavelongbeencharacterizedbyconflictandconfrontation,butalsomakingChina’slong-promotedideasandapproachesofpeacefuldevelopment,consultationanddialogue,tolerance,andmutualunderstandingasharedchoice.Moreimportantly,détenteanddevelopmentareincreasinglybecomingatrendintheregion.Saudi-IranianreconciliationgivesstrongimpetustotheMiddleEastLong-termconflictandconfrontationhaveturnedtheMiddleEastintotheregionwiththemostconflictsinthecontemporaryworld,deprivingtheregionofapeacefulenvironmentfordevelopment.Confrontationalthinking,securitydilemmasandzero-sumgameshavebecomethedeep-rootedstrategicculturethere,resultinginthelackofmutualtrustamongcountrieswhichseverelyconstrainedsocialandeconomicdevelopment,andunderminedinternationalcooperationandeconomicintegrationintheregion.SincetheArabSpringin2011,conflictandconfrontation,andzero-sumgameshavecharacterizedtheMiddleEast,formingvariouspoliticalidentitiesmanifestedbyblocs,ideologiesandproxies,andresultinginethnicandsectarianconfrontations,themostrepresentativeofwhichisseenbetweenSunnisandShiites,backedrespectivelybySaudiArabiaandIran;andthetensionbetweenTurkeyandSaudiArabia.Asaresult,SaudiArabiacutitdiplomaticrelationswithIranin2016,andsevereditstieswithQatarin2017;TurkeyandSaudiArabiahavelongbeenwrestlingovertheMuslimBrotherhood;Besides,theproxygamesbetweenregionalpowersinYemen,IraqandSyriaareallmanifestationsoftheconfrontationallandscapeintheregion.Inthiscontext,theSaudi-IranianrapprochementfacilitatedbyChinaandthedétentebetweenTurkey,SaudiArabiaandEgyptareexpectedtoclearthemessleftbytheArabSpring,andjumpstartaregionaltrendofseekingdevelopmentathomeanddétentewithothers,therebypromotingthepeacefuldevelopmentoftheregion.Thereconciliationwill,firstandforemost,helpresolvethestructuralconflictsthathavelongplaguedtheGulfandtheMiddleEastregion.SincetheIranianIslamicRevolutionin1979,theconfrontationbetweenthetworegionalpowers,SaudiArabiaandIran,hasshapedtheGulfandeventheentireMiddleEast,andledtoethnic,sectarianandinparticular,geopoliticaltensionsandproxygamesoverhotspotissues.AftertheArabSpringin2011,tensionsbetweenthetwosideshaveremained,diplomaticrelationswerecutoffin2016,causingproxywarsinBahrain,SyriaandYemen.Since2021,signsofde-escalationemergedasbothcountrieshavebeenbatteredbydomesticanddiplomaticstalemate.SeveralroundsofdialoguetookplaceinIraqbuttonoavail,untilBeijingpitchedinandbrokeredthereconciliation.Endogenousdriversaside,themediatingroleChinaplayedwascrucial.ItcertainlymarksasuccessfultryoftheGlobalSecurityInitiativeChinahasproposed.Afterall,therapprochementisofgreatstrategicsignificanceasithasleddirectlytotheeasingoftensionsbetweenIran,SyriaandtheArabworld.Regionalplayersarequicklyimprovingtheirrelations,andthepositiveimpactisalsofeltinSyria,IraqandYemenwithregardstosomehotspotissues.Asanotherdirectimpact,Saudi-TurkeytensionsontheMuslimBrotherhoodareeasingacrosstheboard,too.TheMuslimBrotherhoodwasinpowershortlyinEgyptbeforeremovedbythecoupd’etatledbyarmychiefGeneralAbdelFattahal-Sisi.TheMuslimBrotherhoodhadgainedthesupportofTurkeyandQatar,butwasopposedbySaudiArabiaandtheUAE–ariftthateventuallyledtoSaudiArabiacuttingitsdiplomatictieswithQatarin2017.Since2021,however,Egypt’srelationswithTurkey,QatarandtheUAEhadstartedtowarmup.Since2022,therehasbeenfrequenthigh-levelexchangesamongTurkey,SaudiArabiaandtheUAE.Butonlyrecently,thankstotheSaudi-Iranianreconciliation,TurkeyhasaccelerateditspaceofmendingtieswithEgypt.Tosomeextent,thereconciliationhassetthediplomatictoneofdétenteanddialogue,andwillhelpimproverelationsamongregionalpowers.Inaddition,therapprochementisalsoconducivetotransformingthedevelopmentmodelofMiddleEasterncountries,whohavelongbeenexploringapathofprosperityandnationalrejuvenation,buttheroadtomodernizationhasbeenextremelybumpyandtortuous.Atpresent,seekingtransformationandrefocusingondevelopmenthavebecometheconsensusoftheregioninthepost-ArabSpringera.Arabcountries,especiallytheGulfStates,TurkeyandIran,haveallformulatedaseriesofdevelopmentplansandvisions.Therefore,theSaudi-IranianrapprochementwillundoubtedlyscaleupeconomicandtradecooperationintheentireMiddleEast.China’sdiplomacyinfullalignmenttotheneedsofMiddleEasterncountriesWesternstrategists,evenHenryKissingerincluded,arestillaccustomedtointerpretingtherapprochementfromthelensofgeopoliticalgames,andtheyseeChina’smediationasanimportantsignofitsrisinginfluenceintheregionandaseriousweakeningofUShegemonythere,aswellasamajordevelopmentinthegeopoliticallandscape.Unsurprisingly,itwillbedifficultfortheWesttounderstandhowChinamanagedtobrokertherapprochement,asChinahasadoptedaverydifferentphilosophy,onethatiscontrarytothe“skilled”westernpracticesofdivideandrule,coalitionpolitics,blocconfrontation,democratictransformationandproxywars,whichhavecausedsomuchharm.Duetohistoricallegaciesofcolonialism,hegemony,powerpoliticsandinternalconflicts,theMiddleEasthaslongbeencharacterizedbyconfrontationsfueledbyexternalinfluences.Fromthedivideandrulebywesterncolonistsinmoderntimes,tothemandatesystemduringthetwoworldwars;fromblocconfrontationandproxywarsduringtheColdWartothe“democratictransformation”andthe“waronterror”undertheunipolarhegemonyoftheUS,andthentotheGulfWar,AfghanistanWar,IraqWar,andwarsinLibyaandSyria–onecanhardlysingleoutanyoneofthesethatisnotaresultofinternalcontradictionsfueledbyinterferencesofwesternpowers.Duetohighdegreesofexternaldependencyandprolongedregionalconfrontation,MiddleEasterncountrieslackautonomyintheirdiplomacy,andaregionalenvironmentandmechanismforpeacefuldevelopmentwasmissing,whichledtotheviciouscycleofchaosandeconomicstalemate.Thatexplainstherisingextremismandrampantterrorismintheregion,andthefactthatthisisaregionwiththemostserioussecurity,developmentandgovernancedeficitsintheworld.Chinadoesnothavethepanacea,asspeculatedbyoutsiders,inbrokeringtherapprochement.RatherthesecretliesinChina’slongcommitmenttotheFivePrinciplesofPeacefulCoexistenceanditshistoricalfriendshipanddeeptrustwithallpartiesintheMiddleEastbasedonmutualrespectandassistance.China’sBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI),theconceptofacommunityofsharedfutureforall,andthenewtypeofinternationalrelationsandglobalpartnershipitproposed,theGlobalSecurityInitiative(GSI),GlobalDevelopmentInitiative(GDI)andtheGlobalCivilizationInitiative(GCI)arecateringtotheneedsoftheMiddleEast,aregionlongbatteredbywarsandconfrontations,ethnicconflicts,religiousdisputesandcivilizationaldivisions.Chinahasbeenplayinganincreasinglymoreconstructiveroleintheregionsinceenteringthenewera.Onthediplomaticfront,ChinahasmaintainedfriendlycooperationwithArabcountries,Iran,TurkeyandIsraelatthesametime,andhasestablisheddifferentformsofstrategicpartnershipswithmorethanadozenMiddleEasterncountries.Ontheeconomicfront,ChinahasadheredtotheBRIprinciplesofextensiveconsultation,widecontributionandsharedbenefitincarryingoutpracticalcooperationinthefieldsofinfrastructure,newenergy,ITandaerospace.Onthesocialandculturalfront,ChinarespectsthepathsandsystemsofMiddleEasterncountriesandthediversityofcivilizationsintheregion,andhasactivelyexchangedgovernanceexperiencesandcarriedoutpeople-to-peopleexchangesinvariousfields,settingtheexampleofmutualappreciationofcivilizations.Inthefieldofsecurity,Chinaadherestothenewconceptofcommon,comprehensive,cooperativeandsustainablesecurity,andtheapproachofpromotingsecuritythroughdevelopment.Guidedbysuchphilosophy,Chinahasactivelyengagedinpeacekeeping,fightingterrorismandpiratesintheMiddleEastwithaviewtostrengthenregionalsecurity.Indealingwithhotspotissues,ChinahasalwaysupheldjusticeandfairnessinseekingpoliticalresolutionofissuesthroughsolutionswithChinesecharacteristics.AsPresidentXiJinpingsaidinhisspeechattheArabLeagueheadquartersinCairo:“WithregardtoChina’spolicymeasurestowardtheMiddleEast,ChinadecidesitspositiononissuesonthebasisoftheirownmeritsandthefundamentalinterestsofthepeopleintheMiddleEast.InsteadoflookingforaproxyintheMiddleEast,wepromotepeacetalks;insteadofseekinganysphereofinfluence,wecallonallpartiestojointhecircleoffriendsfortheBeltandRoadInitiative;insteadofattemptingtofillthe‘vacuum’,webuildacooperativepartnershipnetworkforwin-winoutcomes”.PresidentXialsosaidexplicitlythatChinawouldbe“buildersofpeace,promotersofdevelopment,boostersofindustrialization,supportersofstabilityandpartnersofpeople-to-peopleexchangesintheMiddleEast”.Putsimply,peaceanddevelopment,mutualbenefitandwin-win,fairnessandjustice,andtoleranceandmutualappreciationaretheintrinsicreasonswhyChinahasbeenabletobrokerthereconciliationandpromotethetrendofdétenteanddevelopmentintheMiddleEast.Incontrast,theUnitedStateshas,inrecentyears,notonlyprovokedandintensifiedconfrontationbetweenArabcountries,IsraelandIranbystrengtheningthethreattoIran,andcobbledtogetheran“ArabNATO”blocthattakesadvantageofregionalcrisestosellarms.ItsmassivearmssalestoSaudiArabiaamidsttheSaudi-Iranianconfrontationismorethantelling.Moreover,theactoftakingadvantageofbothpartiesduringtheSaudi-Qatardiplomaticbreakuphasleftseriousnegativeimpactontheregion.Justastensionsareeasing,theUScarriedoutanotherairstrikeagainstIraniantargetsineasternSyriaonMarch23,withundoubtedlytheaimofpokingIran,therebyunderminingtheeasingofrelationsbetweenIranandregionalcountriesandcreatingobstaclestotherapprochement.Itisobviousthat20yearsafterlaunchingtheIraqWar,theUShasnotlearntthelessonsfromitsMiddleEastpolicy–thisexplainswhyChina’sforeignpolicyintheregionissobeyondthecomprehensionoftheUS.(ContributedbyLiuZhongmin,Professor,TheMiddleEastStudiesInstituteofShanghaiInternationalStudiesUniversity,andVicePresidentoftheChinaMiddleEastSociety)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.