ChinaMED Archive

This month’s big news item in Sino-Mediterranean relations was the state visit to China by President of the State of Palestine and of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas from June 13 to 16. This marked Abbas' fifth visit to the People's Republic since taking power almost two decades ago. During his four-day-long sojourn in Beijing, the Palestinian president met his Chinese counterpart Xi...

July was a relatively tranquil month for Sino-Mediterranean relations. The most notable event was Algerian President and Minister of Defense Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s state visit to China, which took place from July 17 to 21. On the final day of his stay, President Tebboune announced Algeria’s intention to join the BRICS and become a shareholder member of the New Development Bank...

Like June, July was not a particularly eventful month for Chinese coverage of the wider Mediterranean region. The prevailing theme within the commentaries by and interviews of Chinese analysts revolved around the growing importance of the Middle East, especially of the Gulf, at both the regional and global level. Those arguing in favor of the region gaining increased international relevance...

In April, news outlets throughout the wider Mediterranean region continued to discuss the “Beijing Agreement”, the recent China-brokered deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to reestablish official diplomatic relations. Interest in the agreement remained high as the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers reconvened in Beijing on April 6 to discuss its implementation. However, there was a notable...

To no one’s surprise, the joint tripartite statement released on March 10 by Iran, Saudi Arabia and China was at the center of international media coverage of Beijing’s engagement within the wider Mediterranean region in March. This joint statement, which has come to be referred to as the “Beijing Agreement,” was the result of undisclosed talks between Saudi and Iranian officials in Beijing on...