SaudiArabia,Iran,andChinaissuedajointstatementinBeijingonMarch10,announcingthatthetwoMiddleEastcountrieswillresumediplomaticrelationsandactivateimportantbilateralagreementsthathadbeenputonholdforsevenyears.Therare,high-profilediplomaticdevelopment,madepossiblebythemediationofChina,widensBeijing"sglobalinfluence,especiallyintermsofdiplomaticmediation.ThatitwillhelpbringstabilitytotheMiddleEastandpromotethenormalizationofrelationsbetweenothercountriesintheregionisagiven.

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China"sachievementisallthemorecomfortingbecausetheworlddidn"tseeitasamajorplayerintheMiddleEast,andconsideredtheUnitedStatesandRussiatobethemostinfluentialpoliticalplayers.MajorpeaceinitiativesintheregionhaveoftenbeenfacilitatedbytheUS,includingthepeaceagreementbetweenEgyptandIsraelbrokeredbyformerpresidentJimmyCarterinCampDavidin1978,andtheOsloAccordssignedbetweenPalestineandIsraelin1993andoverseenbyformerpresidentBillClinton.

TheChina-mediatedtalksbetweenSaudiArabiaandIranwereheldinsecret.Sothediplomaticcommunity,themediaandcommentatorsweresurprisedbythetripartitestatementissuedduringthetwosessions,buttheyhadtoadmitthatChinahadsuccessfullybroughtthetwomajorrivalsintheMiddleEasttogether.Ittookfivedaysofclosed-doortalksforChina"sseniordiplomat,WangYi,andhisSaudiArabianandIraniancounterparts,toachieveapositiveresult.

ThejointstatementhighlightsthekeyroleplayedbyChinaandthestrongdesireofSaudiArabiaandIrantorepairtheirrelationship.ThestatementemphasizesthatthismeetingwasinresponsetoPresidentXiJinping"sinitiativetohelpSaudiArabiaandIrandevelopgood-neighborlyandfriendlyrelations,andwasheldinaccordancewiththeconsensusreachedbetweenPresidentXiandtheleadersofthetwocountries.

Equallyimportant,RiyadhandTeheranhaveagreedto"activate"thesecuritycooperationagreementof2001andthecomprehensivebilateralcooperationagreementof1998whichcoversareassuchastheeconomy,trade,investment,technology,science,cultureandsports.

ThepositiveeffectsofthisdevelopmentcouldalsohelpnormalizethefragilerelationshipbetweenSaudiArabiaandQatar.Qatar,whichdistanceditselffromSaudiArabiaandkepttieswithIran,wassanctionedandisolatedbythesmallSaudiArabia-ledalliance.SoifSaudiArabia-Qatartiesarefullyrestored,itwillhelpunifytheGulfcountriesandpromotetheintegrationoftheGulfCooperationCouncil,whichhasgonethroughmanyupsanddowns.

Similarly,thedevelopmentmaycreateopportunitiesforSyria,whichalongwithIranispartofthe"ShiiteCrescent",toreturntotheArabworldafterbeingisolatedbytheArabLeaguefor12years.ItmightalsoprompttheHouthimilitiainYemen,saidtobeunderIran"sinfluence,tochangeitsattitudeandstrategy,andagreetoholdtalkswithSaudiArabiatoendthecivilwarinYemen.SaudiArabiahaslongaccusedtheHouthimilitiaofbeingIran"sproxyandposingastrategicthreattoit,whileTeheranhascriticizedRiyadhforitsbrutalinterferenceinYemen"sinternalaffairs.

Furthermore,withtherestorationofSaudiArabia-Iranties,tworadicalmilitiasopposingIsrael—theLebaneseHezbollahandthePalestinianHamaswhichfollowedIran"swill—maybetakenoffthe"terroristorganization"blacklistbySaudiArabiaandEgypt,amongothers.

Afterthejointstatementwasreleased,Wangsaidthatthereareotherhotspotissuesthatothermajorcountriesshouldtrytoresolve,suggestingthattheUkrainecrisisisnottheonlyonethatdeservestheinternationalcommunity"sattention.Hestressedtheimportanceofdialoguebasedonequalityandmutualrespecttofindsolutionsthatareacceptabletobothsides.

AsthemediatorofthesecretmeetingbetweenRiyadhandTeheran,Wang"sgoalistopromotepeaceandstabilityintheMiddleEast.InMarch2021,Wang,thenstatecouncilorandforeignminister,visitedsixMiddleEastcountries,includingSaudiArabia,andpromotedthe25-yearstrategiccooperationframeworkagreementbetweenChinaandIran.

InJanuary2022,heorganizeda"MiddleEastWeek"inWuxi,Jiangsuprovince,wherehemetwiththeforeignministersofsixMiddleEastcountries,includingthoseofSaudiArabiaandIran.TheseactivitiesnotonlyshowedChinaattachesgreatimportancetoMiddleEastaffairsbutalsoincreasedtheregionalcountries"trustinChina,andhelpedeasetensionsbetweenSaudiArabiaandIran.

ItwasXi"svisittoSaudiArabiaattheendof2022,andChina-Arabsummit,aswellasChina-GulfCooperationsummit,thatpushedChina-Arabtiestowardinstitutionalization.ThatinturnspurredIrantostrengthencooperationwithChinaandpromptedIranianPresidentEbrahimRaisitovisitChinainFebruary2023.Thesetwotop-leveldiplomaticvisitsplayedakeyroleinimprovingSaudiArabia-Iranties.NottoforgetthatregionalneighborsshowedastrongdesireforRiyadhandTeheran"srapprochement.

TheinternationalcommunityhasgenerallywelcomedtherapprochementbetweenthetwomajorMiddleEastpowersandthetwolargestenergyproducingandexportingcountries,becauseitisbeneficialforthestabilityoftheMiddleEastandtheglobalenergymarket.TheUS,too,haswelcomedthedevelopment,especiallybecauseitdoesn"twantIsraeltousemilitaryforceagainstIrananddragtheUSbackintotheMiddleEastquagmire,becausethestrategicfocusoftheUShasshiftedtoEurasiatorivalwithRussiaandChina.