China’s Approach to the Middle East Crisis in the Context of the Iran War, and Relations with Türkiye

SUMMARY

The US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February 2026 significantly affected China, which has deep strategic and economic relations with the countries of the Middle East. At the start of the war, the Beijing administration pursued a cautious policy that criticised the military intervention, emphasised calls for a diplomatic solution and focused primarily on protecting its economic interests. Recently, however, the emergence of claims that China has been providing intelligence and technology transfers to Iran has the potential to create new fragilities in Beijing’s relations with both the Arab Gulf countries and the US. This study examines comprehensively China’s position on this conflict in the Middle East on the basis of Beijing’s official statements, the analyses of Chinese academic circles and the reports of China-based think tanks.