Analysts: Escalating conflict tests China’s Middle East approach

A woman reads the Quran at the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs, Sept. 29, 2024. Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi addresses the "Summit of the Future" in the General Assembly hall at United Nations headquarters in New York City, Sept. 23, 2024.

As Israel continues to launch airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, China is stepping up its efforts to play the role of peacemaker in the Middle East, issuing statements of condemnation, but Beijing’s actions are also exposing the limits of its ability to de-escalate tensions, analysts say.