China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia Recommit to Each Other in Beijing MeetingFrances Martel 18 Dec 2023
Beijing hosted the deputy foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia this weekend for a meeting the Chinese Foreign Ministry described on Monday as a sign of the Communist Party’s commitment to “play[ing] a constructive role” in the Middle East.
The Chinese Communist Party brokered talks between the Sunni and Shiite rivals that led to the announcement in March, from Beijing, of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh. Iran and Saudi Arabia have for years maintained a bitter rivalry, the result of both their religious differences and Iran’s status as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Iran-backed terror entities such as the Houthi jihadist group of Yemen pose a significant threat to Saudi national security.
Saudi Arabia has allowed relations with Iran to thaw in the past two years in part as a result of the worsening ties with America, thanks to belligerent statements and poor diplomacy by the administration of President Joe Biden.
As a candidate in 2020, Biden promised to turn Saudi Arabia, a traditional ally, into a global “pariah.” As president, he outraged Saudi Arabia by delisting the Houthis as a terrorist organization – despite no evidence the group had abandoned terrorism – and received a cold welcome when he traveled to Jeddah to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, in July 2022.
That awkward meeting preceded what China branded a “honeymoon” with the Mideast power.
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https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2023/12/18/china-iran-and-saudi-arabia-recommit-to-each-other-in-beijing-meeting/
