Xi Jinping Calls on BRICS to Cooperate for Middle East Peace
GeopoliticsMacroCommodity
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the BRICS group to work together to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East, stressing that China is willing to play a major role in this. In a speech at the BRICS summit in New Delhi last Saturday, Xi Jinping said the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region remains complex, and that this conflict has inflicted severe losses on the people of the region and does not serve the common interests of the international community. The Chinese leader stressed that all relevant parties should adhere to the direction of a political settlement and promote a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, noting that the Palestinian issue has always been at the heart of the Middle East problem and reaffirming the importance of implementing the two-state solution alongside Israel. China is Iran's largest trading partner and a major customer for Tehran's energy exports, while Donald Trump's team last month imposed a new wave of strict economic sanctions on Iran under the name Operation Economic Outcast, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled at its launch would not exempt China. As energy prices surged following the conflict, economists said China helped prevent energy prices from rising further, thanks to years of oil stockpiling and a subsequent reduction in oil purchases. President Donald Trump is scheduled to welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House later this month.
