In a blink of an eye, the rings of time have reached the end of 2022, but the process of diplomacy between major powers that China has begun in a new era has not stopped. From December 7 to 9, Beijing time, Chinese leaders paid a state visit to Saudi Arabia and attended the first China-Arab Summit and the China- Gulf Arab Cooperation Commission Summit. The launch of the three major summits has elevated China's relations with Arab countries to a new height and laid a solid foundation for the future high-quality cooperation between the two sides.
In the context of the gradual weakening of the United States' influence, the global energy crisis and the continuous changes in the political landscape, China's high-quality cooperation with the Middle East countries is in line with the actual needs of economic and social development and international changes between the two sides. There is no political calculation, nor is it directed at any third party. But even so, China's "Saudi mission" was unexpectedly dissatisfied by other countries. The first thing to express different opinions is Iran.
According to Iranian media reports, on December 10, officials from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urgently summoned the Chinese ambassador to Iran and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the statements related to the three disputed islands of Iran and the UAE in a joint statement issued by the China-Gulf Arab States Cooperation Committee (hereinafter referred to as " GCC ").
The three so-called disputed islands in Iran mainly refer to Abu Musa, Datubu and Xiaotubu located in Strait of Hormuz . The above island disputes mainly originate from disputes left over after the end of the colonial era. In 1971, after Britain withdrew its garrison from the UAE, the Iranian king sent naval forces to the three islands to form de facto effective control, but this unilateral move was not recognized by the Arab countries. With the joint support of the Arab world, the UAE authorities have always believed that they have absolute sovereignty over it and rejected the UAE claims.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the Iranian government believes that any demands on these islands are an unfavorable factor in undermining peace and stability in the region and is an interference in its internal affairs and territorial areas. Iran strongly condemns it.
So, has China clearly expressed its request for Iran to "return" three disputed islands to the UAE in the joint statement of China Overseas ? Of course not, this is obviously not in line with the basic principles of China's foreign relations. China will not interfere in other countries' internal affairs and regional affairs, but is only willing to act as an intermediary to bridge differences and resolve conflicts between the two sides.
China Overseas Joint Statement pointed out that it supports the UAE to peacefully resolve the issues of Abu Mousa, Datongbu and Xiaotongbu Islands through pragmatic bilateral negotiations based on the rules of international law.
It can be clearly seen that China's wording is very cautious, without any political bias, and it does not constitute an invasion of Iran's sovereignty and territory. In fact, Iran can also see China's position, so it did not give China a fierce diplomatic criticism like the United States. It only mentioned the matter during a meeting with the Chinese ambassador last Saturday and reiterated Iran's position on this issue.
Chinese ambassador responded that China has always attached great importance to relations with Iran and respected Iran's territorial integrity. At the same time, it emphasized that the purpose of Chinese leaders' visit to Saudi Arabia is to promote peace and stability in the region and seek the possibility of resolving conflicts.
In order to eliminate misunderstandings in Iran, China sent high-level officials to Tehran to meet with Iranian President Lai, reiterating that China has always viewed China's relations from a strategic height, firmly supported Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will continue to promote various comprehensive cooperation plans between China and Iran.
The Iranian authorities expressed dissatisfaction with China. Such incidents are quite rare. On the one hand, they vividly reflect the complexity and severity of the international diplomatic struggle; on the other hand, they once again prove that the Middle East is the most difficult "hard bone" to crack in diplomatic strategies. The current political structure in the Middle East is the result of a comprehensive factor such as historical grievances, religious contradictions, and geopolitical conflicts. The intervention of Western powers directly leaves all kinds of messes left behind in the region.
In the future, with the continuous deepening of various exchanges between China and the Middle East, it is inevitable to touch relevant sensitive issues. This is not only a arduous challenge, but also a rare historical opportunity. China has no political demands for the Middle East and has never been arrogant with a hegemonic attitude. The United States has created bad debts that it has not wanted to solve for decades. China has the willingness and ability to play its unique role to promote a historic reconciliation between Iran and the GCC countries.
It can be foreseen that if China successfully reconciles the contradiction between Iran and the GCC countries, then China's influence in the Middle East will surpass the United States in all respects, and the world's multipolar trend and the construction of a new type of international order will also take a big step forward.
