How will China adjust Israel ties as US-led strikes on Iran reshape Middle East?

China is expected to rebalance its ties with Israel as US-Israeli air strikes on Iran reshape the region’s security landscape, but analysts say it is unlikely to abandon its long-standing “balanced diplomacy” in the Middle East.

The strikes began on Saturday after nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran reached a stalemate and tensions spiralled. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 86-year-old cleric who had dominated the Islamic Republic’s political system for nearly four decades, was killed in the attacks.

Tehran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes against Israeli targets, US bases and facilities in Gulf states.

Beijing strongly condemned the killing of Khamenei, calling it a “serious violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security” and warning that the escalation risked further destabilising the region.

For China, the upheaval presents diplomatic risk and demands strategic calculation.

Chen Guangmeng, executive dean of the Academy of International and Regional Studies at Sichuan International Studies University, said China would not – and did not need to – abandon its long-standing “balanced diplomacy” in the Middle East, but must pursue a “strategic rebalancing” to adapt to the shock waves created by US-Israeli military action.

South China Morning Post