BEIJING: Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran through China’s mediation.
Over the past year, the Saudi-Iranian relationship has weathered regional turbulence and yielded concrete peace dividends for their people and the region.
The historic reconciliation not only epitomizes China’s dedication to regional peace but also sets a new paradigm for resolving conflicts through dialogue and negotiation. Today, China’s advocacy for peace still resonates with Middle East countries.
As the protracted Israel-Hamas conflict looms large over the Middle East stability, countries in the region are yearning for more peacemaking efforts to help restore tranquility. The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran was one of the major sources of tension in the Middle East.
The two countries were at loggerheads over a myriad of issues, engaging in proxy military conflicts by backing opposing forces in countries like Yemen and Syria.
In 2016, Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the Kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.
To help the two countries achieve detente, China assumed the role of a mediator, leveraging its amicable relations with them to facilitate communication and dialogue between the feuding parties.
On March 10, 2023, in a joint statement released with China in Beijing, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced that they had reached an agreement to reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions within two months, marking a milestone in the thawing of their relations. China’s facilitation of the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation has acted as a catalyst for a new dawn of detente among Middle Eastern nations.
Shortly thereafter, a string of positive advancements unfolded in the Middle East peace process: Syria returned to the Arab League after a hiatus of 12 years; Qatar and Bahrain decided to restore diplomatic ties; relations among Iran, Turkey and Egypt improved; and tensions subsided in Yemen. “This is a victory for dialogue and peace,” said Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, when assessing the historic reconciliation.
“The Chinese-brokered deal for restoring the Iranian-Saudi relations presents the Middle East with a new formula for seeking security and stability,” said Noha Bakir, a professor of political science with American University in Cairo. Over the past year, building on the conciliation, Saudi Arabia and Iran have been making breakthroughs in exchanges in various domains, including politics and economy. On April 6, 2023, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, signed a joint declaration in Beijing, announcing an immediate resumption of diplomatic relations.
Just days after the recommencement of ties, Farzad Piltan, West Asia director at Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, announced that in the short term, the restoration of political and diplomatic ties would enable the two countries to achieve $1 billion in trade, with potential for further expansion to $2 billion in the medium term. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
