How China “Bought” the Middle East 😉

Since 2005, China has spent more than $269 billion on investments and construction contracts across the entire Middle East.

Top 3 recipients:
▪️ Saudi Arabia – $82 billion
▪️ UAE – $48 billion
▪️ Iraq – $40 billion

China’s trade with the Middle East countries has doubled since 2017 and reached $317 billion in 2024. Iran also got a share—Beijing sent them $25 billion.

Big investments make it unprofitable for China to keep the war in the Middle East going, but there’s a catch.

Beijing isn’t in a hurry to get involved and end the conflict, because this is an opportunity to strike the US economy and finally wipe out their reputation as the “world’s fixer.”

Trump’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz would cut off the flow of Iranian oil to China, but they have enough reserves accumulated at low prices.

So Mr. Xi will continue to take a wait-and-see stance, while Trump is already thinking about how to postpone his visit to Beijing once again.