If Rouhani is going to improve the Iranian economy, then he has to seek the cancellation or at the least the relaxation of sanctions by the West. In other words, the new Iranian President has to be more innovative and flexible in diplomatic policies, including the nuclear issue, writes He Wenping.

The sanctions by Washington are undermining the very goals that it would like to achieve with Iran, while dividing the old U.S. allies and strengthening China’s clout in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia refused to accept the UN Security Council seat as a non-permanent member. Wu Sike argues the decision reflects the growing dissatisfaction of the Middle East countries with the Obama administration’s current foreign policy and proposes China-US cooperation to resolve the conflicts in the region.

The U.S. has relentlessly worked on improving its foreign policies in order to safeguard its global hegemony. Chen Jimin analyzes the framework of the Obama administration’s global strategy.

What role should China play in issues like the Syrian crisis? China’s role is to prevent the Syrian issue from becoming a deal between the US and Russia only, and to push for more international cooperation, writes Pang Zhongying.

There is nothing wrong with expecting China to contribute more to the Middle East, and hopefully China will do so, but the allegations that China has contributed little to the Middle East is far from the truth, writes Jin Liangxiang.

Following United States military intervention in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, Zhao Weibin lays out four reasons why the Obama administration is unlikely to undertake military action in Syria against Bashar al-Assad.

As China has distanced itself from Syria in the last eighteen months. Joel Wuthnow believes that arguments that China is hedging its bets on Assad may be premature.

The recent “ice-breaking” discussions between high level cabinet members and a phone discussion between the presidents of the United States and Iran has been greeted with open arms not only by the US and Iran, but also by much of the international community. However, these talks are only the first step on a long road towards building a harmonious relationship.

With the crisis in Syria at the forefront of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, Tom Plate argues that China’s role in Turtle Bay will be far less predictable than the past.