China refuses hidden motives after hosting Iran-Saudi talks

After hosting talks at which Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations China said on Saturday it has no hidden motives and isnt trying to fill any vacuum in the Middle EastThe agreement announced on Friday to reestablish IranSaudi ties and reopen embassies after seven years was seen as a major diplomatic victory for China as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States as reducing its presence in the Middle EastThe Foreign Ministry quoted an unidentified spokesperson as saying China pursues no selfish interest whatsoever and opposes geopolitical competition in the regionChina will continue to support Mideast countries in resolving differences through dialogue and consultation to jointly promote lasting peace and stability the spokesperson said We respect the stature of Middle East countries as the masters of this region and oppose geopolitical competition in the Middle East said the statement posted on the Foreign Ministrys websiteChina has no intention to and will not seek to fill socalled vacuum or put up exclusive blocs it said in an apparent reference to the US China will continue to contribute its insights and proposals to realising peace and tranquility in the Middle East and play its role as a responsible major country in this processFollowing Fridays announcement Chinas senior diplomat Wang Yi said the agreement showed China was a reliable mediator that had faithfully fulfilled its duties as the hostNotably Wang also stated that this world has more than just the Ukraine question and there are still many issues affecting peace and peoples lives China has been heavily criticised for failing to condemn Russias invasion and for accusing the US and NATO of provoking the conflictA Chinese proposal calling for a ceasefire and peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine went nowhere largely because of Chinas perceived backing of RussiaHowever in the Middle East China is viewed as a neutral party with strong ties to both Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as Israel and the Palestinian AuthorityChina last month hosted Irans hardline President Ebrahim Raisi and is a top purchaser of Saudi oilAlso read Saudi Arabia deposited USD 5 billion in Turkish central bankChinese leader Xi Jinping visited Riyadh in December for meetings with oilrich Gulf Arab nations crucial to Chinas energy supplies and Chinas special envoy for the Middle East a position specially created in 2002 has made frequent trips to the regionChina sells drones and other weaponry to countries in the region but nowhere on the scale of the United States In coordination with fellow authoritarian state Russia China has sought to steadily chip away at the USled Western liberal order taking advantage of opportunities when Washingtons attention has strayedEarlier it moved aggressively to build ties in the South Pacific signing a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that could see Chinese naval ships and security forces taking up a presence in the countryThe US Australia and others moved swiftly to shore up ties in the Pacific and Chinas efforts to ink similar agreements with other island nations ultimately founderedXi whose administration in recent days has warned of conflict and confrontation with the US was credited in a trilateral statement with facilitating the IranSaudi talks through a noble initiative and having personally agreed to sponsor the negotiations that lasted from Monday through FridayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever