Chinese dictator Xi Jinping presented a “four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East” during a meeting with Emirati Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan (MBZ) in Beijing on Tuesday.
After the usual praise and vows of mutual support to the visiting dignitary, Xi hit MBZ with his four-point peace plan, which was as laughably vague as China’s so-called “peace plan” for the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Even China’s worshipful state-run Global Times struggled to make Xi’s proposal sound like a coherent plan, or figure out what the “four points” actually were:
Xi called for adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence. Countries in the Middle East and Gulf region are interdependent and inseparable neighbors. Efforts should be made to support these countries to improve their relations, and it is imperative to promote the building of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East and the Gulf region.
“Peaceful coexistence” is arguably a one-point plan for peace, all by itself, provided no one asks for details.
The other three points in brief were national sovereignty, the international rule of law, and coordinated security development, all of which are highly flexible terms that mean whatever China wants them to mean at any given moment. Taiwan and the Philippines, for example, are probably not in a mood to hear a lecture on respect for national sovereignty from Beijing.
The Global Times said Xi declared China is ready to share “the opportunities brought about by Chinese modernization to strengthen the foundation for regional development and security” in the Middle East.
This could be a tough sell, given how poorly Chinese technology performed for Iran during most of its conflict with the United States and Israel. Although MBZ was reportedly polite in his dealings with Xi, the Emiratis and their colleagues in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) weathered constant unprovoked attacks by Iran throughout Operation Epic Fury, so coordinating with the Iranians on regional security is probably low on their list of priorities at this point.
U.S. intelligence experts believe China is planning to ship new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, a highly provocative move that would squander Beijing’s remaining credibility as a broker in the Middle East and possibly invite a stiff sanctions response from the United States.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he wrote a letter to Xi asking him not to send weapons to Iran. Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Wednesday that Xi has agreed to his request. He also said China was “very happy” that the United States has forcibly reopened the Strait of Hormuz after Iran tried to close it.
“President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting???” Trump exclaimed.
“BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!!” he added.
Trump was originally scheduled to meet with Xi in Beijing in March, but the meeting was postponed due to the Iran conflict. The White House has said the Trump-Xi summit will now take place on May 14th and 15th.
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