by Bo Wang •Published on April 15, 2026

Source: https://www.chinausfocus.com/foreign-policy/chinas-achilles-heel-in-relationship-with-arab-gulf-states

Against the backdrop of the escalating military strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, the regional security situation has deteriorated drastically. The Gulf states, which had maintained restraint, are gradually adjusting their strategic postures. Core countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have begun to provide military and diplomatic support to the US and Israel, and even mull direct participation in the conflict. This shift has not only reshaped the strategic balance in the Gulf region but also exerted a far-reaching impact on the global geopolitical landscape. As an important cooperative partner of the Middle East and a responsible major country, China has always upheld an objective and impartial stance, and actively promoted the de-escalation of tensions on the basis of respecting the sovereignty and security concerns of regional countries. China’s position is rooted in its own diplomatic philosophy and also demonstrates its major-country responsibility for safeguarding international fairness and justice.

The Gulf states’ strategic shift towards involvement in the conflict is essentially an inevitable choice driven by dual pressures of security threats and economic woes, and it also poses a new era proposition for China’s expression of stance. Since the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, Iran’s retaliatory actions have continued to escalate, with hundreds of missiles and thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles targeting energy facilities, shipping routes and cities in the Gulf region, drastically worsening the security environment of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries. Bahrain, the home of the US Fifth Fleet, and energy export-dependent Saudi Arabia and the UAE have seen their economic vulnerabilities fully exposed under Iran’s sustained strikes. The Strait of Hormuz, a shipping lane for one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas resources, has suffered disrupted navigation, inflicting huge daily economic losses on these countries and forcing the Gulf states to re-evaluate the feasibility of their neutrality policy. According to reports, the UAE has prepared to assist the US and its allies in forcefully opening the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first Persian Gulf country to plan direct participation in the war, while Saudi Arabia has approved the US to use the King Fahd Air Base, with its direct entry into the conflict regarded as “only a matter of time”. This shift of the Gulf states has turned the conflict, which was originally confined to the US-Iran confrontation, into a full-scale regional security crisis, and also put forward higher requirements for China’s Middle East policy.

China’s core position on this issue has always centered on “ceasing fire and hostilities and pursuing a political settlement”, adhering to five fundamental principles. It neither takes sides with any party nor shirks its own responsibilities. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has made clear statements on multiple occasions that the proper settlement of Middle East issues should adhere to the five principles of respecting national sovereignty, refraining from the abuse of force, upholding non-interference in internal affairs, seeking political solutions to hotspot issues, and major countries playing a constructive role. It has emphasized that “military might does not equate to moral justice”, and the arbitrary use of force will only breed new hatred and fail to solve problems fundamentally. This stance runs through all of China’s diplomatic actions: on the one hand, China firmly opposes the US and Israel’s military strikes on Iran without the authorization of the UN Security Council, and condemns all acts that violate international law and target civilians and civilian facilities; on the other hand, China respects the security concerns of the Gulf states, understands their strategic adjustments in the face of Iran’s sustained threats, clearly advocates that the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of all Gulf countries should be fully respected, and supports regional countries in independently safeguarding their own security interests. This balanced and firm stance not only embodies the impartiality of China’s diplomacy but also preserves important space for easing the situation.

Thus, the in-depth development of China-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations has provided an important support for China’s participation in regional affairs and dissemination of the concept of peace, and also served as a key foundation for China’s expression of stance. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1990, China and Saudi Arabia have always upheld the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, and gradually established a comprehensive strategic partnership. Today, China has become Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia is China’s largest trading partner in the West Asia and North Africa region and a major source of energy supply. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume reached 107.5 billion US dollars, an increase of more than 210 times compared with the time of the establishment of diplomatic relations. In addition to traditional cooperation in energy and infrastructure, China and Saudi Arabia have also achieved remarkable results in emerging fields such as the digital economy, green development and artificial intelligence, with increasingly close people-to-people and cultural exchanges. This year, as the first China-Saudi Arabia Culture Year, the two sides have held nearly 40 colorful exchange activities, further consolidating the popular foundation for the friendship between the two countries. Based on this profound bilateral mutual trust, China can more effectively listen to the security demands of the Gulf states, and at the same time, use the China-Saudi Arabia cooperation platform to convey the concept of “putting political settlement first” to Saudi Arabia and other countries, and promote regional countries to resolve differences through dialogue rather than confrontation.

Faced with the complex situation of the Gulf states’ involvement in the conflict, China’s strategic considerations take into account both the short-term de-escalation of the situation and the long-term regional stability, demonstrating a pragmatic and forward-looking major-country vision. In the short term, China has actively carried out diplomatic mediation and jointly put forward a five-point initiative with Pakistan, calling for an immediate cessation of hostile actions, the early start of peace talks, the protection of the security of non-military targets, the safeguarding of the navigation security of the Strait of Hormuz, and the upholding of the primacy of the UN Charter. This initiative has provided a specific framework for ceasefire negotiations and aligned with the core interests and demands of Iran, the Gulf states and the US. At the same time, China closely follows the navigation security of the Strait of Hormuz, because the strait is not only vital to the economic lifeline of the Gulf states but also closely linked to China’s energy security. A large amount of China’s oil imports passes through the strait, and safeguarding the unimpeded navigation of the strait is in the common interests of the international community. In the long term, China is committed to promoting the building of a new security architecture in the Middle East, advocating that regional security should be independently led by regional countries and opposing external interference in regional affairs. By promoting the in-depth alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, China deepens practical cooperation among regional countries, fundamentally resolving security contradictions and eliminating hidden dangers of conflicts.

It is worth noting that China’s position is not one of neutral onlookers, but of active mediation for peace. China adheres to its bottom line and conveys positive energy in the complex geopolitical game. Currently, the US is attempting to make the Gulf states share the huge costs of military operations against Iran, while some Gulf states regard this conflict as a “historic opportunity” to weaken Iran. Such a mentality may lead to further escalation of the conflict and bring a greater impact on the regional and global economy. According to the UN Under-Secretary-General, the conflict has caused economic losses of about 186 billion US dollars to Arab countries, is expected to reduce regional GDP by about 6%, and result in millions of new unemployed and poor people. Against this background, China’s peace mediation efforts are particularly important: China opposes both Iran’s acts of blocking the Strait of Hormuz that harm the common interests of the international community and the Gulf states’ hasty direct participation in the war that exacerbates regional division. Instead, China pushes all parties back to the negotiating table to resolve differences through equal dialogue. This stance of “not taking sides and promoting peace” not only safeguards China’s national interests but also won extensive understanding and support from regional countries.

In summary, the Gulf states’ involvement in the Iran-US-Israel conflict is an important juncture in the evolution of the regional security architecture and has a profound impact on global geopolitics. China’s position on this issue has always taken safeguarding regional peace and stability as the core, respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity as the premise, and pursuing a political settlement as the fundamental path. It not only reflects the profound bilateral friendship between China and Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia but also demonstrates the mission and responsibility of a responsible major country. In the future, as the conflict situation further develops, China will continue to play a constructive role, strengthen communication and coordination with regional countries, promote the implementation of ceasefire initiatives, contribute to the building of a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture in the Middle East, and offer China’s wisdom and strength for the realization of lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.

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