China expected to keep its distance from Middle East conflicts, focus on cooperation

China is expected to keep its distance from regional conflicts in the Middle East and focus on expanding cooperation as it is regarded as more than a trade partner after recent summit meetings, observers say.

President Xi Jinping’s first Middle East trip since 2016 last week featured a flurry of meetings with Arab and Gulf leaders that led to a consensus on regional affairs, upgraded ties with Saudi Arabia after a lavish welcome from the summits’ host, dozens of bilateral agreements in diverse fields, and a call from Xi for oil and gas to be traded in renminbi.