When the news emerged last week of a resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, most immediate Western commentary focused nervously on how this reflected China’s growing global ambitions.
Because China had brokered the agreement, U.S. and European commentators were quick to see any putative advance for Beijing as a loss for Washington. For well over a decade already, this has been a familiar refrain about China’s relations with other parts of the world, particularly Africa. There, the common logic suggested that with Beijing solidifying its trade, investment, and political relationships on that continent, it must be because Washington’s relevance was fading.
