China's Only Iran Option Is a Low Profile
China's cautious posture in the Iran-Israel conflict has revealed the limits of its ambitions — and options — as a global diplomatic player.
The world's second-largest economy likes to position itself as a stabilizing force, offering a sharp contrast to President Donald Trump's America First approach. The Middle East conflict was a litmus test of great power diplomacy, but Beijing didn't rise to the occasion. Instead, it is Trump who has — for the moment at least — declared a ceasefire, showing that Washington can still de-escalate a crisis (after escalating it by carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.)
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