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China has made inroads into the Middle East. It’s not cost-free
The more Beijing engages in the region, the more it discovers it’s hard to be friends with all parties. There’s also American pushback.
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There is no question that China has benefited from the Middle East’s growing disenchantment with the US, says the writer.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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As the war continues to rage in Gaza and the US administration of President Joe Biden stumbles from one failed peace plan to another, China is widely regarded as one of the Middle East’s main diplomatic winners.
While the US attracts constant criticism and public abuse throughout the Middle East for failing to address the plight of the Palestinians, nobody expects China to shoulder any burden, despite the fact that the Chinese are the main trading partners for many of the region’s nations.
