The unresolved -still- military deadlock in the Middle East is expected to dominate the upcoming summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 13. Washington seeks pressure from China on Tehran regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, however the willingness of the Chinese leadership to assume a mediator role remains unclear.
According to Ben Emons, Managing Director of Fed Watch Advisors, cited by a CNBC report, the baseline scenario for the summit is a “controlled de-escalation” with limited results, which will likely be confined to joint declarations on de-escalation and ensuring energy flow.
Despite the common interest of the US and China in free navigation in Hormuz, Beijing avoids moves that would undermine its strategic cooperation with Tehran or expose its diplomatic prestige in case of failure.
It is recalled that the direction of the Chinese approach was signaled last week, during the hosting of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, confirmed the strategic relationship between the two states, while urging Tehran towards a diplomatic resolution of the conflict and abstention from hostilities.
