ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
Iran needs China more than China needs Iran, allowing Beijing to press for a ceasefire while protecting the summit with Trump.
"Beijing's ideal outcome," said Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, "is the maintenance of no-strings-attached relationships with anti-Western countries like Iran but also preserving its opportunity to achieve some form of modus vivendi with the US"
While China played a role in getting Iran to talk to the US, its ability to shape decisions is limited, as it lacks a military presence in the Middle East capable of backing up its words.
Some observers say China's energetic Middle East diplomacy is more theatre than statecraft.
"Beijing's ideal outcome," said Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, "is the maintenance of no-strings-attached relationships with anti-Western countries like Iran but also preserving its opportunity to achieve some form of modus vivendi with the US"
While China played a role in getting Iran to talk to the US, its ability to shape decisions is limited, as it lacks a military presence in the Middle East capable of backing up its words.
Some observers say China's energetic Middle East diplomacy is more theatre than statecraft.










