China steps up Gulf diplomacy as Trump-Xi meeting approaches
China has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with Gulf and regional leaders, with senior officials holding a series of meetings in Beijing. President Xi Jinping hosted Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on a state visit, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Saudi Arabia's national security adviser, Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban, and Iran's deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani. The activity comes as Beijing seeks to project influence in the Middle East ahead of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Shenzhen later this month.
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According to a Chinese readout, Xi warned that the Middle East should not become an arena for "great power rivalry and geopolitical conflicts". He said China had always been committed to stopping conflict and promoting peace, and wanted to contribute "wisdom and solutions" to the regional security dilemma. Wang said China was willing to "play a constructive role" in helping the region achieve lasting peace and stability.
In his meeting with the Iranian official, Wang also said China supported Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty and security. The visit by Sultan Haitham was described as historic because it is the first time an Omani head of state has visited China since the two countries established diplomatic relations nearly 50 years ago. The talks underline the importance Beijing places on Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iran as it tries to maintain ties across a region shaped by conflict, energy flows and shifting alliances.
China has also said it wants to help the region avoid becoming a stage for rivalry between major powers, a message that reflects its broader diplomatic positioning. The timing is significant because the meetings come before the expected Trump-Xi encounter at APEC on 18 and 19 November. China's outreach suggests it wants to be seen as an active regional player at a moment when Middle East tensions and wider US-China competition are both in focus.
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Beijing's role in the region has drawn attention because it is a major trading partner of Iran and a large importer of energy from the Gulf. China's influence in the Middle East has been described by one analyst as no longer what it used to be, but still difficult to ignore given its trade and investment links. The country has also previously been credited with helping push Tehran toward ceasefire talks after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February, adding to its image as a potential mediator.
That background helps explain why Beijing is now trying to keep channels open with Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iran at the same time. What remains unclear is whether the latest round of meetings will produce any immediate diplomatic breakthrough or concrete regional initiative. It is also not yet clear how far China is prepared to go in translating its rhetoric on peace and stability into action.
The planned APEC meeting and any further visits or statements from Chinese officials will be closely watched for signs of whether this diplomatic push is becoming a more sustained strategy.
China has stepped up its diplomatic engagement on the Middle East conflict, with senior officials holding separate meetings in Beijing on Monday. Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, while President Xi Jinping hosted Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on a state visit. Beijing also announced that its special envoy on the Middle East, Zhai Jun, will travel to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia this month.
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Wang told the Iranian official that dialogue and negotiation remained "the only viable path forward" as conflicts in the region "drag on and risk further spillover". He also reaffirmed China's support for Iran's sovereignty and security. Beijing has blamed the United States and Israel for starting the conflict, and the meetings suggest a renewed effort to re-enter regional diplomacy after what observers described as a period of limited activity.
Xi said the Middle East and Gulf "should not become an arena for great-power rivalry and geopolitical conflict". He described ties with Oman as being at a "new historical starting point". The visit was significant because Sultan Haitham is the first Omani head of state to visit China since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1978.
During the visit, China and Oman signed 14 cooperation documents covering areas including artificial intelligence and green energy. The diplomacy comes as China seeks to balance its economic interests with the wider regional fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran. China is one of the world's largest energy importers, and Oman sits across from Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that has long been central to global energy flows.
Before the war restricted traffic, one-fifth of global energy exports passed through the strait, underlining why stability there matters to Beijing and other major importers. China's role in the region has drawn attention because it is a major trading partner of Iran and the biggest customer for Iranian crude. That gives Beijing leverage, but also exposes it to the consequences of prolonged conflict and disruption.
The latest meetings suggest China wants to be seen as more active in efforts to encourage dialogue, even as it continues to frame the crisis in terms of opposition to US and Israeli actions. What remains unclear is whether the renewed contacts will produce any immediate diplomatic breakthrough. The planned visits by Zhai Jun to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia may offer a clearer indication of how far Beijing is prepared to go.
For now, the meetings point to a broader Chinese attempt to reassert itself in Middle East diplomacy while the war and its spillover risks continue.
