Global Impact: what does China’s response to the Israel-Gaza war and Red Sea crisis say about its position as a world power?

Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world

In this issue, we look at Beijing’s response to the Israel-Gaza war and the Red Sea crisis following attacks by Houthi rebels that have disrupted global shipping

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Published: 2:00pm, 19 Feb 2024Updated: 1:56pm, 22 Feb 2024

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As two conflicts continue to ravage the Middle East – the Israel-Gaza war and the attacks in the Red Sea – China’s response has been closely scrutinised by the world.

Since the war erupted in October, Washington and its Western allies have put pressure on Beijing to step up and use its influence in the region to do more.

But what exactly has China done so far? For a start, it embarked on a series of shuttle-diplomacy efforts, including hosting foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries last year, with an aim to “cool” the conflict.

It also dispatched its envoy, Zhai Jun, to the Middle East in an attempt to defuse tensions, and engaged with Iran – which backs the Hamas militant group – multiple times in recent months.

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Yemen’s Houthi fighters behind Red Sea attacks threaten to disrupt global trade

This included sending a veteran ex-diplomat to Tehran on a “friendship” mission and a meeting between senior officials from both sides that saw a commitment to step up diplomatic coordination on regional affairs.