Middle East

China Sends Special Envoy to Middle East for ‘Mediation Efforts’

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs on March 4. — Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs on March 4.
Photographer: AFP/Getty Images

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By Foster Wong

March 4, 2026 at 4:13 PM UTC

China will dispatch its special envoy on Middle East affairs to the region to conduct mediation efforts, as the Iran war spreads and rattles regional stability and energy markets.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced the move in separate phone calls on Wednesday with his counterparts in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, according to statements from China’s Foreign Ministry.