Chinese President: Gulf and Middle East Should Not Be Battleground for Geopolitical Rivalry Among Major Powers

Beijing -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that the Gulf and Middle East regions should not be arenas for competition among major powers and geopolitical conflicts, reaffirming Beijing’s resolve to enhance coordination with Arab countries, including the Sultanate of Oman, and to make joint efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability as soon as possible. China Central Television (CCTV) quoted President Xi as saying during talks with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik in the capital, Beijing, that his country continues to promote peace talks, end fighting, and offer solutions that would help the region emerge from its security predicament. He emphasized China’s readiness to continue calling for the resolution of disputes through political and diplomatic means, and to support the foundations of good-neighborliness, development, security, and cooperation.

For his part, Sultan Haitham said during the meeting that “China has played an indispensable leadership role in safeguarding global peace and stability,” and praised its fair stance on Middle East issues, reaffirming Oman’s readiness to strengthen coordination in order to defend international law and adhere to resolving disputes through peaceful means, thereby enhancing regional and global security.

In a joint statement following the talks, both sides urged Washington and Tehran to commit to the path of peace, achieve a comprehensive ceasefire, and quickly return to the memorandum of understanding reached in Islamabad to resume negotiations and dialogue, paving the way for a comprehensive agreement that includes Iran’s nuclear file. They stressed the necessity of maintaining safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, expressing their desire to maintain communication on this matter.

Regarding the Yemen file, both sides appealed to the concerned parties to prioritize the interests of the Yemeni people, commit to resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, resume the political settlement process for this issue, and make joint efforts to restore peace and stability, while respecting and safeguarding Yemen’s independence, unity, and territorial integrity.

On the bilateral relations front, Sultan Haitham said that Oman and China share a traditional friendship and mutual trust, emphasizing Muscat’s keenness to seize this visit as an opportunity to establish a future-oriented partnership with Beijing to further develop bilateral relations. He added that China is Oman’s largest trading partner, and that economic ties between the two countries have become more comprehensive and diversified, with growing Chinese investments, expressing readiness to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, and infrastructure.

For his part, President Xi said that China-Oman relations have seen steady progress and achieved fruitful results, noting that expanding and deepening these relations is a shared strategic choice for both countries. He pointed out that this is the first visit by an Omani sultan to China since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that it “will become an important page in the history of bilateral relations and inject strong momentum into their development.” President Xi reaffirmed China’s support for Oman’s efforts to preserve its independence, sovereignty, security, and stability, and to explore a development path consistent with its realistic conditions, expressing Beijing’s desire to be a reliable partner for Muscat in the fields of energy, investment, and advanced modern technologies, with intensified cooperation in sectors such as artificial intelligence, industry, technology, culture, and education.

The talks saw the signing of cooperation documents on production and supply chains, green development, and digital finance. (End) S L Q / N B Sh