China’s appointment of Syria envoy to boost involvement in Middle East and protect regional interests, say analysts

China’s appointment of a special envoy to help mediate in the conflict in Syria is aimed at increasing the nation’s diplomatic involvement in the Middle East, boosting its global image and protecting its expanding economic and security interests in the region, according to analysts.

The appointment last week of Xie Xiaoyan, a career diplomat who has served as ambassador to Iran, as China’s first special envoy for Syria shows Beijing’s growing involvement in the Middle East, following President Xi Jinping’s high-profile visit to the region in January.

The appointment of a Syria envoy was above all else symbolic, demonstrating China’s determination to play a role in talks to end the conflict, according to Michael Singh, managing director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“Syria is arguably the most important issue in the Middle East right now, drawing in all of the key regional players as well as outside powers such as Russia, the EU and the US who all see themselves as having a vital stake in the resolution,” said Singh, a former senior director for Middle East affairs at the US National Security Council. “China cannot afford to be absent from the deliberations.”

A partial ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States in late February has largely held, with the Syrian government reaping a series of recent military gains.