The fact that Barack Obama chose Israel as the destination of his first foreign visit during his second term in White House illustrates how important the Middle East is in the United States’ global strategy, although Washington had, before the March 20-23 visit, ruled out any new plan for settling the Middle East issue.
At the inception of his first term as the US president four years ago, Obama also visited the Middle East. But he didn’t go to Israel; instead he went to Egypt, where he made a speech at Cairo University appealing for expedited peace process in the region and sending out signals for reconciliation with the Islamic world. After four years, however, the situation in the region has become even worse with new troubles arising while old problems remaining unsettled. Obama also got a lot of flak for “failing to follow (his) high-sounding words with action.” So it seems that the United States needs to “rebalance” its diplomacy constantly. No matter how much it hopes to shift its focus of diplomacy to Asia, the Middle East has the unmistakable bearing on its strategic interests.
During his visit to Israel, Obama said several times that commitment to the safety of Israel was the United States’ “solemn obligation”. Israel is the US’s strategic ally. Guaranteeing the Jewish state’s safety is one of the top concerns in the US Middle East strategy. It was widely known that in his first term of office Obama didn’t get on well with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trying to mend its relationship with Tel Aviv while cautiously handling the complicated regional problems is a main feature of Obama’s latest visit. During the visit, Obama assured the Israelis that the US-Israeli alliance is “permanent”.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the US-brokered Oslo agreement on the Palestine issue, which had been dubbed “the mother of crisis in Middle East”. The agreement brought hope to the settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflicts. However, after a series of twists and turns, the peace process has come to a stalemate. Now it is of paramount importance to break this deadlock. Obama took his latest visit to the region as a new opportunity to mediate between Israel and Palestine. He asked them to resume the peace talks that have adjourned for two years and called for compromise from both sides. He reassured the Palestinians that the US espouses the idea of an independent Palestine state with complete sovereignty and emphasized to the Israelis that a peace on the basis of the “two-state solution” is “the only way to guarantee true safety” for their country.
The Iranian nuclear issue and Syrian crisis are undoubtedly the current focus of attention. The day Obama arrived in the Middle East happened to be the 10th anniversary of US military invasion of Iraq. That country is still in a state of unrest, shrouded in smoke of gunpowder. The US also supported armed rebels to topple the Libyan government but the unrest remains there and violent terrorism threatens to spill over to neighboring areas. Given these headaches, Obama was prudent on the Iranian nuclear issue, trying not to talk war although he vowed to “stop Iran from possessing nuclear weapons.” He adopted a strategy of using both sanction and negotiation, thus leaving a “window of opportunity” open for diplomatic solution. On the Syria issue, the US insists that Bashar al-Assad stepping down is the only way out for the country. But it still shuns a military involvement and refuses to supply the opposition with weaponry for fear of it ending up in the hands of religious extremists.
Although mocked by some observers as “a visit for placation” featuring mainly empty rhetoric, Obama’s Middle East trip has sent a clear message that the US opts for a political solution of the hot issues in the region and hopes for a stable Middle East. Such an orientation of the US policies is in line with the local people’s wish for peace, stability and development. It is also conducive to the world’s stability and development. And Obama’s appeals to Israel and Palestine share a great deal with China’s attitude of urging restraint and negotiation between the disputing parties.
China has always supported the establishment of an independent Palestine state with complete sovereignty and insisted that there will be no genuine security for Israel and other countries in the Middle East before a peace solution fair to all parties is materialized. Political approach has proven to be the best way to settle the disputes. The armed conflicts between the Syrian government and opposition have lasted for more than two years and all parties began to realize that a political solution will be the only way out. Not long ago, US and Russian officials also discussed with UN-Arab League special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on the possibility of a political solution. Obama’s latest Middle East trip may help strengthen this understanding. China hopes for, and wants, peace and stability in Middle East and has made unremitting efforts for settling hot issues in the region.
Last year, China and the US began strategic dialogue on the Middle East issues. Settling the hot issues through peaceful negotiations and maintaining stability in the region accords with the common interests of both the US and China and is in line with the contemporary trend in the world of seeking peace and common development. Both nations have co-operated effectively in addressing the Iranian nuclear issue in the framework of “six plus one”. It is undeniable that dispute exists between the two countries on the Syrian crisis but practice has proven that China’s approach is correct and practical and truly accords with Syrian people’s interests. Through dialogue, both countries can acquire a better understanding of the issue and find a solution more compatible with the reality.
At present, top leaders of both countries have reached a common understanding on establishing a new type of relationship between the two major world powers. They have realized that both countries should give up the zero-sum philosophy on the Middle East issue, which is of vital importance to global peace, stability and development, and find the area where interests of both sides, and that of the whole world, meet. China and the US can join hands to push for a political solution of the hot issues in the Middle East, which may become a test area for a new Sino-US relationship. We should adopt an active, open and inclusive attitude towards each other in the bilateral relations. This will not only benefit both nations but is also conducive to a harmonious world.
Wu Sike is a member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and member on the Foreign Policy Consulting Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affair.
