Gulf investments and economic interests motivate Beijing to help Trump end war

Gulf investments and economic interests motivate Beijing to help Trump end war Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 05/12/2026 - 21:55 China has benefited from the US's failures in Iran, but it has its own motivations to end the war US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping greet each other as they arrive for talks at Gimhae Air Base, near Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on 30 October 2025 (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP) Off US President Donald Trump is set to meet his counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Thursday in Beijing for a two-day visit. Business and trade deals are at the top of the agenda for the leaders of the world’s two largest economies, but Iran will loom large in the background. Providing military support to Iran in its war with the US and Israel has benefited China, but the conflict in the Middle East also challenges its ties with Gulf states and its broader economic model, experts say.