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Significance
This came during a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, who was seeking to negotiate a 25-year strategic partnership and move forward with collaboration on a COVID-19 vaccine. Beijing has been using pandemic aid in the region to limit reputation damage from being the virus’s origin -- and to further wider political objectives.
Impacts
The Middle East is important for China’s energy security strategy but will never become a global top destination for Chinese investment.
Beijing’s regional focus in the post-COVID-19 era will be on investment and economic engagement, not primarily political influence.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could be used as part of a means to seek global health leadership.
© Oxford Analytica 2020. All rights reserved. This content contains general information about geopolitical, macroeconomic and social developments or (where stated) other matters. It does not contain advice or recommendations that may be relied on. Where links to external websites are provided, this does not indicate that Oxford Analytica or Emerald agree with, endorse or have checked for accuracy the contents of said sites.
2020
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