China News Service, March 11th (Meng Xiangjun Gantian) On March 10, 2023, a piece of heavy news about two countries in the Middle East came from Beijing: the People's Republic of China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a tripartite joint statement , announced that Saudi Arabia and Iran reached an agreement, including agreeing to restore diplomatic relations between the two sides.
Image source: Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
"Triumph of dialogue,
victory of peace"
The lines in the joint statement of the three countries not only demonstrated the efforts made by Saudi Arabia and Iran on how to restore bilateral relations, but also released multiple key messages to the Middle East and the world:
The statement announced that the two countries responded to the positive initiative of President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China on China's support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran to develop good-neighborly and friendly relations. success.
"China's support", "China's initiative", and "China's undertaking", the appreciation and gratitude from both sides revealed that this is not only a successful practice of resolving conflicts between countries through diplomatic channels, but also China's full play in international affairs. A major achievement of diplomatic mediation.
The statement pointed out that within at most two months, Saudi Arabia and Iran will reopen their embassies and representative offices, arrange for the exchange of ambassadors, and explore strengthening bilateral relations.
Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic ties after years of tension.
Image source: Screenshot of NBC report
Focus on reopening the embassies and representative offices of the two sides and sending ambassadors to each other within two months. The very specific time point shows that the resumption of diplomatic relations between Shah and Iraq is not just an idea on the negotiating table, but a big step forward and a real fall. The relationship between the two sides is expected to heat up rapidly.
This further shows that the maturity of China's mediation has given the two countries sufficient conditions and space to truly shake hands and make peace.
The statement stated that the three countries expressed their willingness to make every effort to strengthen international and regional peace and security.
Obviously, the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran has released an important message to the Middle East countries and the world. It turns out that after the cold winter, spring will really come.
The "repair" between the two countries has added stronger confidence and more solid strength to the realization of peace and stability in the Middle East.
Only peace can lead to security, security can lead to development, and development can lead to strength, and China is a key link in promoting peace.
As Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, introduced to reporters after the closing ceremony of the Three-Nation Beijing Dialogue, Shay’s announcement of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries is a victory for dialogue and a victory for peace, and it is a victory for the current turbulent world. Provided major good news and sent a clear signal.
On March 10 local time, UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement through his spokesperson, welcoming the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and thanking China for facilitating the dialogue.
On the same day, Oman, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and many other countries issued statements welcoming the tripartite joint statement.
The White House also welcomed the deal, but noted that it remained to be seen whether Iran would "fulfill their obligations".
France also applauded the move, saying it supported the dialogue but urged Iran to "renounce destabilizing actions".
However, foreign media pointed out that U.S. President Biden responded to this on the 10th local time by saying, "The better the relationship between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the better it is for everyone." became "Israel".
Why did you break off the relationship before?
Saudi-Iran "record of grievances"
Along the way, the bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, both major countries in the region, have experienced ups and downs.
Why did the two countries turn against each other in the first place, causing bilateral relations to decline all the way, and even to the point of breaking off diplomatic relations?
In fact, the Shai relationship has been complicated for half a century:
1979——
The Pahlavi Dynasty was overthrown and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established;
The Shia sect of Islam, represented by the religious leader Khomeini, came to power;
Saudi Arabia, a major Sunni country, is worried that Iran will export Shiite revolutionary ideas to its surrounding areas, and the relationship between the two countries is becoming tense.
1980s--
war between Iran and Iraq;
Saudi Arabia supports Iraq in an attempt to suppress Iran.
July 1987——
402 Hajj pilgrims killed in clashes in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, including 275 Iranians;
Protests broke out in Tehran, the capital of Iran, and people stormed the Saudi embassy, killing a Saudi diplomat;
Tensions escalate between Shay and her relationship nearly collapses.
April 1988——
Saudi King Fahd bin Abdulaziz has severed diplomatic relations with Iran.
March 1991——
Shay restored diplomatic relations and reached an agreement on the pilgrimage, but the relationship between the two countries remains tense.
On December 8, 1997, at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, then Iranian President Khatami (centre right) welcomed Saudi officials.
1997--
After Khatami was elected president of Iran, he worked hard to improve relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.
Year 1999--
Khatami visited Saudi Arabia and became the first Iranian president to visit Saudi Arabia after the Islamic State revolution;
Shai's relationship warms up.
March 2003——
The Iraq War broke out, the United States overthrew Saddam Hussein regime, broke the balance of power in the Middle East, and sectarian conflicts intensified.
Data map: Iran's Arak heavy water reactor.
2005——
Iran announced that it would no longer fulfill its obligations under the Additional Protocol to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons;
After Ahmadinejad came to power, Iran stated that it restarted uranium enrichment activities for peaceful purposes;
Saudi Arabia's concerns about Iran have intensified, and regional confrontation has emerged.
year 2011--
The "Arab Spring" broke out, and Saudi Arabia sent troops to suppress anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain, trying to prevent the Shiite-led opposition from falling to Iran after taking power, and accused Iran of inciting violence;
The United States claimed that the investigation found that Iran "intentionally assassinated the Saudi ambassador to the United States", and Saudi Arabia responded strongly.
2012--
Saudi-Iran conflict heats up on Syrian battlefield;
Saudi Arabia supports the Syrian opposition forces, while the Shiite militias supported by Iran deliver ammunition and aid to the Syrian government forces.
2015——
Saudi Arabia led a group of Gulf Arab countries to attack Yemen with air strikes against the pro-Iran Yemeni Houthi armed forces;
At the end of 2015——
Saudi Arabia takes the lead in forming an Islamic military coalition against terrorism to keep Iran out.
On January 2, 2016 local time, Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Iran.
January 2, 2016——
Saudi Arabia announced the execution of 47 prisoners for terrorism crimes, including the well-known Shiite cleric Namir;
Angry Iranian demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iraq, setting fire to the building.
January 3, 2016——
Saudi Arabia gives Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave
Since then, Saudi Arabia has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran.
Promote peace between the two countries
China is willing to be a "peace envoy"
Looking at the situation in the past half century, the historical entanglement between Saudi Arabia and Iran is caused by the superposition and turmoil of multiple factors.
From a geopolitical perspective, Saudi Arabia often competes with Iran for the right to speak in the region, viewing it as a threat to its own security, and is highly vigilant against the development of Iran's nuclear program, and has repeatedly taken measures to weaken its regional influence.
Moreover, after the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011, Iran and Saudi Arabia supported Syrian President Bashar and the Syrian opposition respectively, and bilateral relations further deteriorated.
From the perspective of religion, one of the two countries is dominated by Shiites and the other is dominated by Sunnis, and both have strong religious influence, and sectarian conflicts are difficult to reconcile.
From an economic point of view, both countries are resource-exporting countries with similar economic structures and low economic dependence on each other.
Saudi Arabia is also worried that if the West lifts sanctions against Iran, it will rise rapidly and become its competitor in the international oil market.
Data map: News on April 16, 2015, Saudi coalition tanks attacked Yemeni Houthi armed strongholds.
From this we can see how difficult it is to make the two rival Gulf countries go from "separating seats" to "shaking hands and making peace"!
For a long time, China has been actively calling for and running for peace and stability in the Middle East, providing "Chinese wisdom" to jointly resolve security challenges in the Middle East.
In 2016, 2018, and 2022, China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran have conducted high-level exchanges of visits many times to convey messages of peace and cooperation.
China has pressed the "accelerator button" for the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran through a lot of diplomatic mediation.
In December 2022, the Joint Statement of the Cooperation and Development Summit of the People's Republic of China and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf was released.
The two sides emphasized that the relations between the Gulf Arab countries and Iran should follow the principles of good-neighborly friendship and non-interference in internal affairs, respect national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, resolve differences through peaceful means, not resort to the use of force or threat of force, and maintain international peace. regional security and stability.
At the end of 2022, at the first China-Arab States Summit held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, China proposed to build a closer China-Arab community with a shared future, emphasizing that both sides should maintain regional peace and achieve common security.
Data map: Iranian President Lehi.
During Iranian President Rahim's visit to China in February 2023, China once again emphasized that maintaining stability in the Middle East is critical to the well-being of countries and people in the region, and is crucial to maintaining world peace, promoting global economic development, and ensuring a stable supply of energy.
As Wang Yi said, as a good-faith and reliable mediator, China has faithfully fulfilled its duties as the host.
We will continue to play a constructive role in properly handling hotspot issues in today's world in accordance with the wishes of all countries and demonstrate our responsibility as a major country.
He also pointed out that the Middle East belongs to the people of the Middle East, and the fate of the Middle East should be in the hands of the people of the Middle East.
It is believed that countries in the Middle East will further promote the spirit of independence, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and work together to build a more peaceful, stable and prosperous Middle East.
(over)