It has become clear that China is reconfiguring its foreign policy. Building on its unprecedented economic growth, China can gradually expand its political influence in many regions across the globe. The Chinese seem to be taking the opposite approach of the US, which expanded its influence primarily through military power, making use of Europe’s exhaustion and retreat after the end of World War II.
It has become increasingly evident that China's previous strategy of employing soft diplomacy, so to speak, in addressing numerous global hot-button issues, characterized by a certain degree of withdrawal, is no longer viable. Beijing now finds itself engaged in a direct rivalry with Washington, particularly Washington in its immediate spheres of influence, especially the Middle East.
Apart from the implications of the Saudi-Iranian understanding, whose direct political outcomes are still limited to reestablishing diplomatic representation between the two countries after a prolonged rupture, reopening embassies and consulates, and exchanging visits, which are significant achievements compared to the previous era of political tensions, however, it is hoped that China will take other steps, helping to resolve the conflicts in places like Yemen, Iraq and others.
Regardless of what it achieves in this regard, China has made significant inroads, as it penetrated a region traditionally thought to be part of the US sphere of influence where the whims of US policymakers are becoming less relevant. Moreover, the Americans seem to be at a loss on how to address the Iranian nuclear program and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which is taking ominous unprecedented turns. Indeed, Israel’s right-wing fundamentalist policies of perpetual settlement expansion, incitement, bombardment, and deliberate murder have left the so-called two-state solution dead and buried.
Though the current US administration has neither withdrawn support for nor promoted the “Abraham Accords” it had inherited from President Donald Trump, its neglect of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (with the exception of familiar press releases that frame its attacks as “self-defense” rather than condemn Israeli actions) is laying the groundwork for the introduction of a new player, China.
After signing a memorandum of strategic understanding with the Palestinian National Authority, the Chinese president informed his Palestinian counterpart of his willingness to intervene in resolving this historical conflict that is currently in a difficult and delicate stage. China is known for building strategic partnerships, which Beijing finds to be a more malleable approach to managing its interests with different countries. It prefers this approach to traditional alliances, as the latter could leave it in awkward positions that undermine its interests.
China has established three types of strategic partnerships in the Middle East: the comprehensive strategic partnership (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates), the strategic partnership (Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait) and the comprehensive innovative partnership (Israel).
The strategic partnership between China and the Palestinian Authority aims to reinforce China’s position in the region. It could translate into providing economic and logistic support to Palestine that strengthens its economy, which has been floundering as a result of many external and internal factors. This agreement began with the modest sum of $158 million - modest as compared to China’s trade with others, like its $17.62 billion deal with Israel, which encompasses technological and commercial sectors.
Though Tel Aviv brags about being Washington’s historical strategic partner, it does not hesitate to pursue its direct interests, even China, the US rival that has embroiled it in a trade and economic war. While Israel does not hesitate to anger Washington if its interests demand this, it is rarely met with hostility, despite all of its racist and hardline policies and its refusal to recognize the rights of the Palestinian people.
