China hosted a series of high-profile diplomatic meetings this week aimed at projecting an image as a global peacemaker in two major global crises, the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the southern city of Guangzhou, his first trip to China since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In Beijing, China hosted a meeting that resulted in the signing of an agreement among 14 Palestinian factions to form a national unity government.
Analysts say the developments, while significant, were largely symbolic.
“These diplomatic efforts are in line with the Global Security Initiative that Beijing is trying to put out to make itself look like a global peacemaker, but the international community needs to see some substantive progress [from China,]” Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, told VOA by phone.
China dubbed the agreements between representatives from 14 Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, as the “Beijing Declaration.” On Tuesday, Wang Yi said that while reconciliation is an internal affair of Palestinian factions, it could not be achieved “without the support of the international community.”
He also laid out China’s three-step approach to help end the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, including promoting a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, upholding the principle of “the Palestinians governing Palestine,” and promoting Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations as well as implementing the two-state solution.
The United States has made its own concerted attempts to achieve an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, laying out conditions intended to lead to the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in return for a permanent ceasefire and the pullout of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Although Wang tried to use the meeting in Beijing to cast China as a potential mediator in ending the Middle East conflict, Israel quickly denounced the declaration. The United States voiced its objection to Hamas’ involvement in the post-war governance of Gaza, noting it has designated the group as a terrorist organization.
Some experts say that without the support of the U.S. and other countries, China’s efforts to facilitate peace talks in the Middle East could all be in vain.
“Despite China’s intention to be a peacemaker and mediator, without the support of the United States and other countries, China won’t be able to achieve much,” said Zhiqun Zhu, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at Bucknell University.
Despite pushback from Israel and the U.S., Chong in Singapore said Beijing’s outreach to Palestinians could boost its standing in the Muslim world.
“Beijing wants to seem like it is supporting the Palestinian cause, which has broad sympathy among Muslims and this dovetails with investment and efforts to advance Saudi-Iranian reconciliation,” he told VOA.
Last year, China brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia that paved the way for the two Middle East rivals to restore diplomatic ties and reactivate a security cooperation agreement.
In his view, China’s efforts stand as a “contrast” to what some observers see as destructive U.S. actions, from Washington’s support for Israel to the U.S. experiences with Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.
“Beijing is trying hard to look constructive and supportive to causes that many Muslims and Arab states care about,” Chong noted.
A window of opportunity in Ukraine war
China’s hosting of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba this week was also an important diplomatic milestone for Beijing, which has faced persistent criticism over its support for Russia. Beijing has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
During a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, which lasted more than three hours, Kuleba said “a just peace” in Ukraine is in China’s strategic interests and that Beijing’s role as “a global force for peace” is important.
He also said Kyiv is ready to negotiate when Russia is ready to do so in good faith, adding that Ukraine hasn’t sensed any sign of readiness from the Russians.
In response, Wang Yi said China remains committed to a political settlement of the “Ukraine crisis” and reiterated four principles put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as the six understandings proposed by China and Brazil in May to help find a solution to end the Ukraine war.
Zhu, the China foreign policy scholar at Bucknell University, said a potential victory by former president Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election could mean reduced support for Ukraine from Washington, making it “imperative” for Kyiv to reach out to China.
“If Trump wins the U.S. election, Ukraine will basically be left to itself, so getting support and help from China is critical for Ukraine moving forward,” he told VOA in a written response.
Building blocks for an alternative world order
Sari Arho Havren, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in Brussels, said China’s diplomatic efforts are part of the “building blocks” to help establish an alternative world order led by China.
“China sees an opportunity to weaken the United States’ global position through its diplomatic efforts this week, and countries in the Global South are an important audience [for its messaging,]” she told VOA by phone.
Zhu said as the U.S. becomes more preoccupied with November’s presidential election, there may be more opportunities for China to present itself as an alternative leader in global affairs.
“The messier the U.S. elections are and the more isolationist the U.S. becomes, the more opportunities China will have to fill in the gap and play a leadership role in international affairs,” he told VOA.
However, if China hopes to become a more important international player through these diplomatic efforts, Chong said Beijing needs to follow up on the more declaratory agreements by rolling out some concrete steps.
“I suppose China has ambitions to become a more important player [internationally,] but those ambitions haven’t been matched by developments on the ground yet,” he said.
