China recently invited representatives from 14 Palestinian groups for reconciliation talks; the meeting was held on on 21-24 July in Beijing. These talks were meant to be for ‘peacemaking’ in West Asia. Participants signed a Beijing Declaration, which appealed for the strengthening of Palestinian unity by ending division. Some observers have noted that this seems to be a replication of Chinese actions in March 2023, when it attempted to mediate and normalise diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Although Iraq and Oman were later acknowledged as the main players that made this attempted reconciliation possible, China certainly tried to take credit. These Chinese moves indicate that Beijing has been trying to insert itself into the West Asian context as an important external player.

Though China’s stated motive is to contribute to the peace in the region, observers feel that the real motive is to replace or balance the US in the region and beyond. They point out that China is less interested in resolving fundamental issues and more in flaunting the success of short-term actions. In the recently held talks in Beijing, China also invited Hamas. Hamas, opposed to the very existence of Israel initially, had slightly toned down its rhetoric in 2017. It proposed to recognise the borders of a Palestinian state created after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, though without recognising Israel as a state. It was rejected by Israel. This discourse seems to have been dismantled after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, amidst the longstanding Israel-Palestine crisis.

Not just the US and Israel but also moderate Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan consider Hamas to be a spoiler in any peace process.  China, on the other hand, is one of only a handful of powerful countries that hasn’t recognised Hamas as a terrorist organisation. By inviting Hamas to Beijing, China has sought to show that it has linkages with all Palestinian stakeholders. Such moves could therefore lead to further complications in the region instead of resolving issues.

All parties in West Asia recognise that a peace effort that doesn’t explicitly accept the two-state solution is going to be both unjust and a failure. China’s recent attempt to facilitate talks by bringing all Palestinian stakeholders together in Beijing is therefore not a fair mediation effort. China appears to want to be in the driver’s seat by being ‘in charge’ of creating unity among different Palestinians, which will ensure that it is close to all. Over the past several months, however, Beijing hasn’t made any significant attempt to reach out to Israel. This clearly displays its partisan stand on the issue. Either it wants to favour one of the main stakeholder parties or it itself intends to become a party within the broader regional equation.

China’s ‘peace mediation’ in West Asia is similar to its approach to the Ukraine crisis. Even though China hasn’t yet publicly criticised Russia for the invasion, it has come out with a six-point peace roadmap with Brazil, which was made public in May 2024. Beijing also hosted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on 24 July 2024. Though China has promised to work constructively for a ceasefire, allegations that it would like a truce or peace that maintains the status quo and is favourable to Russia, persist. Instead of playing the role of a neutral mediator, China seems to be assisting one party over the other. It is also seeking to become an important player in the broad dynamics of these conflicts. These are steps to demonstrate that China is invested in peace, which will help raise its global political stature and perhaps even emerge as a counter-balance to the US.

Hamas and Fatah leaders meeting in Beijing twice over three months may indicate that China is hoping to contribute constructively to conflict resolution but a closer look makes it obvious that China’s diplomatic ambition is part of its global competition with the US. It seeks to be a player in conflicts across the globe and speak on behalf of those who are uneasy with existing order. China’s proximity to countries such as  Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Iran, Palestine, and Pakistan enables it to cultivate a network of revisionist powers, with Beijing in the central, coordinating role. Its  so-called ‘peace diplomacy’ is thus contrary to what the name suggests, and is instead another attempt to challenge existing regional and global order. China’s ambitions will lead to greater unpredictability—rather than ushering in a new order, it will embolden ‘rogue states’ and create chaos in the international system.  

Dr. Sandip Kumar Mishra is Professor, Centre for East Asian Studies, SIS, JNU, & Distinguished Fellow, IPCS.