China's growing involvement in Middle East tensions is giving Beijing an opportunity to position itself as a strategic actor as President Donald Trump considers his next diplomatic steps with Iran.
Gordon Chang, senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, joined Stuart Varney on FOX Business' "Varney & Co." to discuss how China is leveraging its relationship with Iran to project influence while signaling goodwill ahead of a potentially high-profile meeting with President Donald Trump.
Recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz highlight the depth of coordination between Beijing and Tehran, especially as Iran is pushing for transactions in the Chinese currency, a shift that could challenge the dominance of the US dollar in global energy markets.
Chang emphasized China's broader role in supporting Iran's position, noting that Beijing has provided significant support without directly involving military participation.
"Of course, they have supported Iran in all directions, except with soldiers, sailors and pilots, but in almost every other aspect," Chang said.
At the same time, China is trying to portray itself as a diplomatic mediator. Chang said Beijing has played a limited mediation role in recent ceasefire efforts, but stressed the strategic purpose behind this engagement.
“It played a small mediation role in the ceasefire… But the bottom line is that China wants to show that it is a mediator, to show strength, because President Trump is expected to visit the Chinese capital on May 14… so they are looking to create goodwill,” Chang said.
These maneuvers show that China is balancing influence and public perception, using diplomacy to strengthen its position as tensions in the region continue to evolve, writes Fox.
