China’s engagement in conflicts : a comparative study between the Iran’s nuclear issue and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

Abstract

China has more motivation and responsibility to engage in regional conflicts more actively as a rising great power. In order to gain the model of Chinese engagement in conflicts, this paper traces leaders' speeches, statements, proposals and official news on the Palestinian Israeli conflict and Iran's nuclear issue and finds China engages in political and economic ways. However, by comparing the focus of the meeting, details of the proposal, and response after the emergency , we find China engaged in Iran's nuclear issue deeper than the Palestinian Israeli conflict. Mainly because, in Iran's case, the complexity of conflicts is lower, the relevance to China's interests is higher, and both Iran and America would like to or hav e to let China engage, which affects China's ability, willingness and space to engage separately. Further, we forecast China will still engage in Middle East conflicts through its political and economic means but deeper in the future.