As the war in Ukraine enters its third month, more convergence has emerged between China and key states in the Middle East. Motivated by a shared frustration with the United States, China and its Middle East partners have found themselves on the same side more often than not regarding the conflict.

Evidence of this alignment is found in the voting records of three recent United Nations resolutions. On Feb 26, the UN Security Council voted on a resolution that would have demanded Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops. Three members of the Security Council abstained: China, India and the United Arab Emirates.