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Podcast: Middle East Dossier
Episode: ME101 Lecture 2: Regional Realignment – Iran-Arab Relations: from Rivalry to Rapproachment
Description: China’s growing footprint in the Middle East culminated in March 2023 when Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a historic rapprochement in Beijing. The PRC was not just the host but directly mediated the final rounds of talks between the two Persian Gulf rivals. Only a few months later, building on the momentum of the KSA-Iran diplomatic success, China doubled down, proposing itself as a mediator between Israel and Palestine. Although Beijing’s unprecedented diplomatic boldness in the region surprised many, it hardly represents a substantial change in the PRC’s strategy in the Middle East. Nor it represents the incept...