After talks in which Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties, China said on Saturday that it has no hidden agenda and is not trying to fill any “vacuum” in the Middle East.

An agreement announced Friday to restore Iranian-Saudi ties and reopen embassies seven years later was hailed as a major diplomatic victory for China as Gulf Arab states see the United States is reducing its presence in the Middle East.

The Foreign Ministry quoted a spokesperson as saying that China “has no vested interests” and opposes geopolitical competition in the region.

China will continue to support the countries of the Middle East in “resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation so as to jointly promote lasting peace and stability,” the Chinese official said.

“We respect the status of the countries of the Middle East as sovereigns of this region and oppose geopolitical competition in the Middle East,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“China has no intention and will not seek to fill the so-called loophole or create a bloc,” reads a clear nod to the US. “China will continue to contribute its knowledge and suggestions to achieve peace and tranquility in the Middle East and play its role as a responsible large country in this process.”

Following Friday’s statement, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said the deal showed China to be a “reliable intermediary” that “carries out its responsibilities as a host in good faith.”

Notably, Wang also stated that “this world is not only facing the problem of Ukraine, there are many more problems that affect the world and people’s lives.”

China has been heavily criticized for not condemning the Russian invasion and has accused the US and NATO of provoking the conflict. The Chinese proposal for a ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine came to nothing, largely due to China’s overt support for Russia.

However, in the Middle East, China is seen as a neutral party with strong ties to both Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

China hosted tough Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi last month as the country remains the biggest buyer of Saudi oil. Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Riyadh in December for meetings with the oil-rich Gulf Arab states, which are vital to China’s energy supply, and China’s special envoy for the Middle East – a post created in 2002 – travels frequently to the area. .

China sells drones and other weapons to countries in the region, but this is far from the scale of the United States.

In coordination with the authoritarian state of Russia, China has sought to suspend the US-led Western liberal order, seizing opportunities when Washington’s attention was diverted.

Previously, he actively tried to build ties in the South Pacific by signing a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that could bring Chinese ships and security forces into the country. The US, Australia and other countries quickly fortified ties in the Pacific, and China’s attempts to strike similar deals with other island nations eventually collapsed.

Xi, whose administration has warned in recent days of “conflict and confrontation” with the US, is credited in the tripartite statement with facilitating the Iran-Saudi talks through a “noble initiative” and personally agreeing to back the Monday-Friday talks.

Source: Associated Press.