The recent peace agreement between Saudi and Iran brokered by China was the beginning of a ‘new order’ in the Middle East, said Head of Department of International Relations at the University of Central Punjab Dr Rashid Ahmed Khan.
He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Institute of Regional Studies, on Saudi-Iran rapprochement. He said that China had never challenged the US interests in the region in the past and had no intention to do so in the future. Since China was not aiming at replacing the US in the region, there would not be a power struggle between the two powers in the future, at least from the Chinese side, he added.
On implications of the recent agreement, Dr Khan said that the Saudi-Iran rapprochement would help defuse tensions in the region, particularly in Yemen. Commenting on China’s mediatory role, he said it was not something new as China had centuries-old relations with the countries in the region, and it was just the renewal of old ties, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2023.
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