Chinese Premier meets with Palestinian President in effort to increase Middle East presence

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on June 15, 2023 in a drive by Beijing to elevate relations and increase its overall presence in the Middle East

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday (June 15) in a drive by Beijing to elevate relations and increase its overall presence in the Middle East.

Mr. Li, who took office just this spring with little foreign policy experience, called Mr. Abbas “an old friend of the Chinese people” who has made “important contributions to the promotion of China-Palestinian relations.”

The meeting came a day after Mr. Abbas was greeted with full military honors by Xi Jinping, China’s President and head of the ruling Communist Party.

The sides then announced the formation of a "strategic partnership,” paving the way to boost China’s influence in the region at a time when Beijing's chief rival for global influence, the United States, is seen as withdrawing from the region following the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and complications in ties with regional power Saudi Arabia.

China, meanwhile, is seeking energy resources and markets for its military and civilian exports while also promoting its version of authoritarian government as part of joint challenge with Russia to the Western-led democratic world order.

Beijing has long maintained diplomatic ties with the Palestinian Authority, and it appointed a special envoy to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials. But its experience in the region is mainly limited to construction, manufacturing and other economic projects.

China relies on such partnerships to bolster its diplomatic posture and give large Chinese corporations a leg up when negotiating infrastructure deals in line with the government’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” which has left many struggling countries in deep debt to Chinese banks.