China says it has no ulterior motives in brokering Friday’s peace talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia that saw the two Middle Eastern countries re-establish diplomatic ties after years of hostilities.
A spokesman for the country’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that China “has no selfish interest in the Middle East.”
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, right, shakes hands with Saudi National Security Advisor Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban, left, as Wang Yi, China’s senior diplomat, looks, center, at a photo during a closed-door meeting in Beijing on Saturday, March 11, 2023. (Luo Xiaoguang/Xinhua via AP)
“We respect the stature of Middle Eastern countries as masters of the region and oppose geopolitical competition in the Middle East,” the statement read. “China has no plans and will not try to fill [a] so-called blank or put on exclusive blocks.”
Friday’s deal to re-establish Iran-Saudi ties and reopen embassies after seven years was seen as a major diplomatic victory for China as Gulf Arab states sense the United States is reducing its presence in the Middle Orient.
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Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said the deal demonstrated China was a “reliable broker” who had “faithfully fulfilled its duties as a host country”.
China is seen as a neutral side, with strong ties to both Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Saturday’s comments came after China hosted Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi last month to solidify ties between the two countries.
China is also a major buyer of Saudi oil. Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Riyadh in December for meetings with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations crucial to China’s energy supplies.
In this photo released by the official website of the Iranian presidential office, President Ebrahim Raisi, left, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in an official welcoming ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. (Office of the Iranian Presidency via AP)
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Xi, whose administration has warned of “conflict and confrontation” with the US in recent days, was credited in a trilateral statement with facilitating Iran-Saudi talks through a “noble initiative” and personally agreeing to sponsor the negotiations which lasted from Monday until Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
