China steps up Middle East diplomacy with Iran and Oman meetings

What the report says

China has renewed its diplomatic activity in the Middle East as fighting linked to the US and Israel against Iran continues to raise regional tensions. According to Al Jazeera, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Beijing on Monday with Ali Bagheri Kani, a senior Iranian security official, and urged dialogue and negotiation as the main way to prevent further escalation. Wang also reaffirmed Beijing’s support for Iran’s sovereignty and security.

The same day, President Xi Jinping hosted Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq in Beijing for a state visit that Al Jazeera described as the first by an Omani head of state to China since the two countries established relations in 1978. Xi said the Middle East and Gulf should not become an arena for rivalry between major powers. China’s foreign ministry also said its special envoy on Middle East affairs, Zhai Jun, would visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia later in the month.

The visit produced 14 cooperation documents between China and Oman, including agreements covering artificial intelligence, green energy, supply chains and a currency swap arrangement. The two sides also called for safe navigation to resume through the Strait of Hormuz and urged Washington and Tehran to restart talks. The developments matter because China is a major energy importer and relies on Gulf stability, while Oman remains a key regional interlocutor with influence around the strategic waterway.