Andr\u00e9 Barbieri<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The diplomatic meeting between Wang Yi, China\u2019s Foreign Minister, and Abbas Araghchi, Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister, was marked by an atmosphere of urgency and concern over the global economy. A week before the expected meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, the backdrop of the Sino-Iranian meeting was the partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategic routes for global oil trade, and the continuation of the imperialist war of the United States and Israel against Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Beijing, which behind the scenes supports Iran while demanding the reopening of the Strait, stability in this region is vital. The official newspaper Xinhua<\/em> wrote about the meeting: \u201cChina calls for an immediate and complete ceasefire, opposes the resumption of conflict, and emphasizes the priority of maintaining negotiations on the situation in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n China, as the world\u2019s largest oil importer, sees the Strait of Hormuz as a critical point for its energy security. Despite being a major producer, China imports more than 70% of the oil it consumes (11 million barrels per day), and 40% of these imports come from the Middle East through Hormuz. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil (13% of its maritime imports come from the country via Hormuz). Wang Yi emphasized the need for a ceasefire and the immediate reopening of the strait, stressing that the conflict not only affects the countries involved but also destabilizes global trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the Iranian side, Abbas Araghchi sought to reinforce political trust in Beijing, offering assurances that China would not be subject to additional tariffs on maritime traffic in Hormuz. In addition, he reiterated Iran\u2019s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, attempting to dispel accusations of militarization. The Iranian regime, which has survived\u2014though weakened\u2014the Zionist-American attacks, sees China as a strategic partner capable of mitigating the impact of sanctions and balancing Trump\u2019s pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Iran War will undoubtedly be an important topic in the conversations between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping when they meet in Beijing for a two-day summit scheduled to begin on May 14. On the one hand, having the United States bogged down in yet another Middle Eastern war is advantageous for China. The U.S. military quickly expended a huge amount of ammunition, reducing critical stockpiles for any future conflict with Beijing. Moreover, the war diverts the Trump administration\u2019s attention from the Asia-Pacific, easing the path for China\u2019s political and military preparations for any eventuality in Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But China also sees benefits in trying to help end the war. Early in the conflict, Iranian forces effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to most ships, allowing only the passage of vessels carrying Iranian oil, including those destined for China. Even so, the Chinese economy was affected by the surge in global energy prices and also suffers from the U.S. naval blockade, which prevents some ships from leaving Iranian ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlthough some observe that Beijing could favor a prolonged war in Iran, the political discourse in Beijing actually favors de-escalation,\u201d said Yun Sun, a China specialist at the Stimson Center, a foreign relations research group based in Washington. Both China and Russia have urged Iran to continue negotiations with Trump, who spoke with Putin about the war (which could hint at concession deals on the Ukrainian front in exchange for diplomatic pressure on Tehran).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The United States, in turn, faces a complex dilemma. From a military standpoint, despite the damage inflicted on the Iranian regime and economy, Trump suffered a defeat that is difficult to disguise. The strategy of absorbing damage and internationalizing the costs of the conflict across the entire Middle Eastern infrastructure yielded favorable results for Tehran. Trump is increasingly isolated, facing domestic popular opposition and an economic situation likely to lead to a substantive defeat in the midterm elections. The continuation of the war could further erode his international standing, heighten tensions with allies and rivals, and provoke internal political instability. Washington also has to deal with the economic effects of the Hormuz blockade, which reverberate in global energy prices and put pressure on its own economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For China, the greatest risk lies in its attempt to maintain neutrality while protecting its energy interests. If the conflict drags on, Beijing may be forced to take a clearer stance, either supporting Iran or aligning with international pressures. Such a choice could compromise its image as an impartial mediator and affect its trade relations with other Middle Eastern countries, which are extensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China\u2019s economic investments in the Middle East are vast and multifaceted, spanning energy, infrastructure, technology, and finance, and form a fundamental pillar of the Belt and Road Initiative. In Saudi Arabia, China has invested billions in petrochemical projects and renewable energy ventures, aligning with Riyadh\u2019s Vision 2030 while securing long-term oil supplies. In the United Arab Emirates, Chinese investments cover electric vehicle production, aviation, and digital technology. In Qatar, natural gas supply agreements involve ownership stakes in extraction fields such as North Field East and North Field South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The meeting between Wang Yi and Abbas Araghchi revealed that both China and Iran have urgent concerns tied to the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing war. China fears energy collapses and diplomatic dilemmas, while the United States faces military and strategic risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n U.S. intelligence agencies released information suggesting that a Chinese company may have attempted to send a shipment of portable missiles to Iran. Chinese companies have also supplied Iran with materials considered dual-use, meaning they can serve both civilian and military purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This episode illustrates how the conflict in the Middle East is not limited to direct military actions but also involves trade networks and technology supply chains that can alter the strategic balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The uncertainties surrounding the war and the mounting difficulties for both the United States and China symbolize the fractures in a symbiotic relationship upon which the global capitalist economy depends. Such tensions have no easy solutions\u2014solutions that seem far from emerging with Trump\u2019s arrival in Beijing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Diplomatic Meeting between Wang Yi and Abbas Araghchi Reveals Concerns on the Eve of the Summit with Donald Trump.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":77,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"crp_sub_category":"China","crp_read_time":"","crp_featured":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[42,8,19],"coauthors":[68],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-asia","category-international","tag-asia-pacific","tag-china","tag-marxism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n