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China

July 16, 2026

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A general view shows docked ships at the harbor of the Sudanese city of Port Sudan, on April 27, 2021.

Sudan, China ink memorandum to develop seaports: What to know

The deal comes as Sudan seeks to revive its maritime sector and revitalize its Red Sea ports.

Latest News

Explainer

Saudi FM concludes China visit amid Trump-MBS friction: What to know

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud before a family photo for the attendees of a meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority nations at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on November 20, 2023. The international community must take urgent action to stop the "humanitarian disaster" unfolding in Gaza, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told visiting diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority nations on Novembe

Saudi Arabia's FM heads to China amid differences with US on Iran war

PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Why the Hormuz oil shock never became an energy catastrophe

A tourist boat passes near crude oil tankers, bulk carriers, and other vessels anchored off Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, Oman, June 19, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Benjamin Houghton

In Durham, reporting on China in the Middle East

Yun Sun

In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties

Dale Aluf

In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East

Emil Avdaliani

Andrea Ghiselli

In Shanghai, reporting on China in the Middle East

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in Beijing on April 13, 2026.

China signals bigger Gulf role as UAE crown prince visits Beijing

China, which maintains close ties with both Iran and Gulf states, is hosting one of the UAE's top officials this week as a fragile ceasefire in the region holds.

Getty Images

As US blockades Hormuz, China urges restraint, rejects call to ditch Iran oil

Beijing and Ankara called for calm as the US began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as regional diplomacy over the fragile ceasefire intensifies.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, speaks during a UN Security Council meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East on April 7, 2026, in New York City. A vote on a resolution in the Security Council introduced by Bahrain focusing on reopening the Strait of Hormuz failed after opposition from Russia and China. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Analysis

Sanctions relief, Pakistan role propel China backing of Iran-US ceasefire

The US–Iran truce boosts Pakistan — one of China’s closest partners — by elevating its role as a mediator and strengthening a regional balance that favors Beijing’s allies.

Joyce Karam

By Joyce Karam , Rosaleen Carroll

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar meets with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the Diaoytai State Guest House in Beijing, China, on March 31, 2026. — Pakistani Foreign Ministry

Analysis

China plays peacemaker while letting US bleed in Iran

Beijing’s push for a ceasefire in the Iran war highlights its diplomatic ambitions — but entrenched actors and limited leverage leave its plan short on real prospects.

Joyce Karam

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar meets with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the Diaoytai State Guest House in Beijing, China, March 31, 2026.

China, Pakistan announce 5-point plan to end Iran war: What to know

The call came during Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Beijing, which comes as part of Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach to mediate an end to the US-Israel-Iran war.

An aerial view shows a petrochemical plant in operation by the Yangtze River in Nanjing, in eastern China's Jiangsu province November 26, 2025. (Photo by CN-STR / AFP via Getty Images) / China OUT

Analysis

Five reasons China is in no rush to end Iran war

Despite global economic disruptions, China may tolerate prolonged US involvement in Iran, as it could drain American resources and shift focus away from the Indo-Pacific.

Joyce Karam

Lin Jian

China to send aid to Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan as Trump delays Beijing summit

The aid announcement comes as President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his late March visit to China would be postponed.

Close-up of an LPG dispenser nozzle filling a car's fuel tank. This illustrates the use of alternative fuel sources for automobiles. LPG is a cleaner-burning fuel compared to gasoline.

Asia liquefied petroleum gas prices spike after damage to Saudi facility

Swaps for LPG delivered to East Asia next month soared to more than $600 per ton, their highest since April 1, 2025, after Saudi state energy firm Aramco said it would be canceling some deliveries.