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1h ago

China Pushes for Gulf De‑Escalation as Xi Hosts Omani Sultan

Beijing is using state visits and envoy missions to protect energy routes by pushing parties toward a negotiated settlement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq attend a welcoming ceremony during the Sultan's state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China November 2, 2026. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Zheng Shanjie attend a meeting with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq (not pictured) during the Sultan's state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China November 2, 2026. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq shake hands following a signing ceremony during the Sultan's state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China November 2, 2026. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool
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Overview

  • President Xi Jinping hosted Oman's Sultan Haitham in Beijing on Monday in the first Omani head‑of‑state visit since 1978, and the two leaders issued a 20‑point joint statement calling for the resumption of normal and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
  • China and Oman signed at least 14 memoranda and cooperation protocols on energy, green development, digital finance and supply chains to deepen strategic and economic ties and align China’s Belt and Road plans with Oman Vision 2040.
  • Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iran’s Ali Bagheri Kani in Beijing to reaffirm China’s support for Iran’s sovereignty and to urge all parties to pursue a political settlement rather than continued military action.
  • Beijing announced it will send special envoys to the region, naming Zhai Jun to visit Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early to mid‑November as part of follow‑up diplomacy to de‑escalate the US‑Iran conflict.
  • China is seeking to prevent the Gulf from becoming a great‑power battleground to protect its oil imports and global shipping through Hormuz, a move that could shift regional diplomacy but will only succeed if the US, Iran and Gulf states agree to return to the earlier June framework and resume talks.