THE West sees China’s good relationship with Iran as a starting point in helping shield Israel from a potential attack from the Islamic Republic and its proxies.
Tensions spiked anew in the Middle East after an airstrike blamed on Israel flattened the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital of Damascus on April 1st, killing sixteen people.
Iranian officials and its allies vowed to punish Israel for its actions, while the Jewish state threatened to respond to the Islamic Republic with an equally powerful attack.
As the archenemies and the rest of the international community remain on high alert for potential escalations, Western diplomats enlist the help of potential mediators that can pacify the brewing tensions.
In a recent phone call, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appealed to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to use its influence over Iran. Wang on the other hand condemned the airstrike in Damascus and urged Washington to play a “constructive role” in the Middle East.
Blinken also talked with his counterparts in Turkiye and Saudi Arabia amid rising fears of retaliation by Iran towards Israel.
China is Iran’s largest trading partner. Under its belt, China turned heads after its successful role in reconciling Saudi Arabia and Iran last year, a feat that other big-time mediators like the United States failed to achieve.
The China-brokered reconciliation between the former rivals earned praise from Arab leaders including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who expressed hope that China could extend the same “diplomatic miracle” towards Israel and Palestine.
In light of the ongoing territorial disputes in Southeast Asian waters, the West is attempting to paint China as a troublemaker. But in an ironic turn of events, the Western diplomats see the world’s second-largest economy as a potential savior that could help stop a looming conflict in the Middle East.
