Hot take: China’s reach in the region still has limits
China has long had a two-track approach to the Middle East and North Africa: racking up public-relations points with "Belt and Road" business and infrastructure deals, but staying out of security and political issues.
Wang’s three deliverables. This past week, however, was different. Chinese Foreign Minister
Wang Yi’s regional tour — which included stops in Saudi Arabia, Turkey (see below), Iran, and the United Arab Emirates — revealed a more assertive posture:
In Abu Dhabi, he announced a partnership with the UAE toproduce up to 200 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to fight COVID-19.