When The Dragon Rises In The World Diplomacy!!

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16 June 2023

Dr. Mano Laowanich, Lecturer at the College of Social Innovation, Rangsit University

 

On March 10, the past The world was shocked when His Excellency Wang Yi, one of the Communist Party of China's Politburo and China's most senior diplomat, took pictures with the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia along with documents that the two countries had been at odds with for nearly a decade. both Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations as before After four days of meetings in Beijing, this event was not expected by any diplomat. with China as the glue All these events took place during the 14th annual congress of the Communist Party of China. and President Xi Jinping was elected president for a third term by unanimous vote.

• Wang Yi, from 'wolf warrior diplomacy' to Saudi-Iran peacemaker

It is well known that the governments of Tehran and Riyadh Even though it's a Muslim country together. But there has been conflict and diplomatic ties have been severed for at least seven years. Both sides have long been rivals in civil wars in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon, which Tehran considers Saudi Arabia to support the US-backed government. and when Saudi Arabia establishes friendly relations with Israel which was Iran's worst enemy under President Trump Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are therefore almost impossible.

The Shia-Sunni conflict between the two countries also played a key role in the Iran-Iraq war. When the Saudi authorities pledged $25 billion in aid to the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein, When Iraq invaded Iran with the support of the United States This made Saudi Arabia concerned about regional stability, so financial support to Iraq was irrespective of the “unheated” relationship between Iraqi Baha'i Christians and conservative Saudi Arabia.

in doing so Saudi Arabia is deeply concerned that Revolutionary Iran poses a much greater threat to the survival and stability of the region. Saudi Arabia supports the Sunni monarchs of the Persian Gulf Arab states, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. It is therefore highly at odds with Iran's revolutionary ideas of the Islamic State. Saudi Arabia therefore provided financial support to Iraq to pay for the war. Forcing Saudi Arabia to dramatically increase oil production. Saudi Arabia's increased oil production is aimed at reducing Iran's ability to secure funding. Billions of dollars in lost revenue Because oil prices dropped from more than $30 per barrel to less than $15 in the mid-1980s (1980-1990), it was good for the United States.

During the Iran-Iraq war itself Iran sends warplanes into Saudi airspace He also threatened that if Saudi Arabia and Kuwait continued to support Iraq, there would be serious consequences. But will it be safe when it stops supporting Iraq? Saudi Arabia is different from America. due to the traditional Arab-Bedouin culture It did not damage diplomatic relations with Iran even in the worst times of post-revolutionary tensions and during the Iran-Iraq war.

On May 7, 1984, Iranian warplanes targeted an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf. This action resulted in Saudi Arabia conducting air defenses in the region to intercept Iranian fighters. On June 5, 1984, two Iranian F-4 fighters encroached on Saudi airspace. It was reported to drop bombs on Saudi oil tankers. The Saudi Air Force then intercepted and shot down an Iranian fighter jet and shot down two Iranian F-4s.

If Iran and Saudi Arabia are friendly when? The conflict situation in the Middle East will be gone. Peace in this land will come immediately.

In the past few years, the country that has emerged as the glue of Iran-Saudi relations has been Iraq, which has tried to by organizing 5 rounds of meetings to make these two rival countries reconcile but not successful The effort was agreed upon by the United States. secretary general of the united nations and Islamic nations including Oman, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia. Except for the Israeli Prime Minister, who criticized the attempt as unproductive for the two countries to restore a pact on security, trade and culture, under the pact both countries agreed to respect the other's sovereignty. one and do not interfere in the internal affairs of the other party

Iran itself has always been subject to sanctions by western countries led by the United States. The country's economy is in a slump. Although there is a lot of oil, it cannot be sold freely. It has also been accused of trying to create nuclear weapons by its country. and has always been the target of Israeli attacks. Iran itself has described its atomic program as peaceful and has never considered building a nuclear bomb. Iran's relations with other countries in the Persian Gulf is thus very limited. full of rage Therefore, there are only a few countries that he has a relationship with, such as China and Russia.  Ukraine and the United States have always accused Iran of Selling drones to Russia for war in Ukraine

But Iran in 2023 is not like the former Iran where almost all of its revenue comes from crude oil. Earlier this year, Iran discovered the world's second-largest reserves of lithium. This caused countries that had previously called for sanctions against Iran to remain calm.

Because lithium is a very important element in the construction of batteries. Especially when the world has to turn to electricity. Lithium batteries are critical to electric vehicles. computers and mobile phones Lithium is essential in shaping Saudi Arabia's future cities. In particular, Vision 2030 of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

The feud between Iran and Saudi Arabia has always existed. And it got even worse especially after the Iranian revolution. nuclear program Plots to assassinate Iranian political leaders made headlines in 2011 and, most recently, when Saudi Arabia executed Shiite Islamist Imam Nimr al-Nimr. Despite many attempts to improve the relationship After the Gulf War in 1991, Arab countries' relations with Iran began to deteriorate markedly. In March 2007, Iranian President Ahmadinejad visited Riyadh and was greeted by King Abdullah at the airport. and the media in both countries called the country Brothers and sisters

After March 2011, Iran's financial and military support to Syria during the Syrian Civil War was evident in the media around the world. had a serious impact on the development of relations between the two countries. Because Saudi Arabia supports the rebels against President Azad. which Iran sees as Saudi Arabia serving America Later on 3 January 2016, the Saudi embassy in Tehran, Iran was ransacked as a result of the Saudi government. Execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh.

The execution infuriated the majority of Shi'ite Iranians. and caused widespread condemnation in the Arab world. even in other countries Besides Iran as well, such as the European Union and the United Nations. Protests in cities of Iran, Iraq, India, Lebanon, Pakistan and Turkey have led to attacks on the Saudi embassy in Iran. As a result, Saudi Arabia officially cut diplomatic ties with Iran. And the Saudi foreign minister ordered all Iranian diplomats to leave their country within 48 hours.

Differences in political ideology and governance have made the two countries very divided. The Islamic Republic of Iran adheres to the rule of Islamic jurisprudence. which is considered Fakih (Islamic law) should have dominion over all Muslim followers. including their dominion regardless of nationality Iran's supreme leader is Shia Fakih Ayatollah Ohalu Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the leader of opposition to the absolute monarchy. which he believes is completely contrary to Islam

Differences in religious beliefs and regimes are already serious issues of conflict, and race is even more important. Because Iranians are not Arabs but Aryans. The word Iran is derived from the word Aryan, which is the same primitive tribe as Europeans and Indians. The language of Iranians is therefore an Indo-European language family. Although Iran uses the Arabic alphabet.

The Saudi monarchy continues to be conservative. against the Islamic Revolution and politically married to an old tribal religious leader who supported the monarchy and the king. (i.e. the custodians of the two holy mosques) were absolutely obedient. However, Saudi Arabia has a Shiite minority who have bitterly complained of discrimination from the Saudi government. At some point these Shiites even called for the Islamic Revolution to overthrow the entire Saudi monarchy and royal family.

 

China's ability to maintain diplomatic relations between this antagonistic country. equivalent to a strong slap in the face of the US leader

Because in the middle of the year 2022, Mr. Joe Biden traveled to Riyadh. He was greeted coldly by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The pair did not shake hands but fists. and the mission that US leaders It wants to negotiate for Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production. to make oil prices cheaper in America That visit to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Joe Biden, completely failed.

Compared to when the Chinese leaders visited Riyadh The Saudi government has given President Xi Jinping the highest honor ever since it sent a squadron to escort the Chinese leader's planes into Saudi airspace. Inspecting the Honor Guard This was followed by a glorious reception, during which Xi stayed in the country for four days and signed 34 treaties between China and Saudi Arabia. of Saudi Arabia as well

In fact, diplomatic efforts have been made to reconcile the two countries even before China. For example, former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, Pakistan's opposition leader, visited the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia. and met with the head of the commission in Islamabad on 8 January 2016 to understand their stance on the conflict. He urged the government of Pakistan to play a positive role in resolving issues between the two countries.

Since April 2019, Iraq has also offered to host peace talks to reconcile Saudi Arabia and Iran to end the regional crisis. Roundtable talks between the two countries began in 2021, although the outcome differed due to the reluctance of the two countries. However, Iran suspended peace talks with Saudi Arabia on 14 March 2022 by no reason

Both countries have now announced the resumption of relations. After the agreement that China is a matchmaker The agreement was signed by Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani and Saudi National Security Adviser Musaid al-Aiban  . reduce the intensity immediately In Yemen, the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-backed rebels began prisoner exchange negotiations. The famine problem in the country therefore began to ease.

In addition to making the two rival countries turn to hand in hand Chinese president visits Moscow to meet with President Putin A peace agreement was discussed in Ukraine. In which China was the party to propose 12 items to which America was the first country to come out against by reasoning that it would give Russia an advantage While the Ukrainian president said he would like to talk to President Xi Jinping, no date has been set.

 

That Xi Jinping's first visit to Russia after his third presidential appointment has significant diplomatic significance.  Although the leaders of the two countries have met together more than 40 times already. This China-Russia bilateral meeting also underlines the borderless friendship between the two countries. The influence of the two superpowers extended to other countries. in Africa China has invested in the poor countries of the continent. To build airports, roads, railway stations, hospitals in Zimbabwe, which amounts to more than two billion dollars and is growing every year. In addition, the Russian Foreign Minister maintains diplomatic relations with African countries and sends Wagner mercenaries are deployed in countries such as the Central African Republic, Mali and Libya.

The strength of China's economic model has caused the Chinese Merchant Army to migrate to trade around the world.

With awareness of the power and influence of China-Russia America, a superpower that has almost no interest in this continent. Maybe it's because of racism. therefore had to send Mrs. Kamala Harris (Kamala Harris) to travel to visit leaders in Africa in a big way Still, it seems to be too late.

what the US leaders The panic is now the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), an Asian political, economic, international security and defense organization. It is the largest regional organization in the world in terms of geographical scope and population. It covers approximately 60% of Eurasia's area, 40% of the world's population, and more than 30% of global GDP.

The SCO is the successor to the Shanghai Five, which was established in 1996 between the People's Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan on June 15, 2001. The country's leaders These and Uzbekistan met in Shanghai to announce the formation of a new organization with deepening political and economic cooperation.

The SCO Charter was signed on 7 July 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003. Since then Membership has expanded to eight states. India and Pakistan joined on 9 June 2017. Many countries are participating as observers or dialogue partners.

Under this charter, the SCO is overseen by the Head of State Council (HSC), the supreme decision-making body. which meets once a year

The Shanghai Five was formed on April 26, 1996, with the signing of the Treaty of Deep Military Trust in the Border Region in Shanghai by the Heads of State of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. State of Russia and Tajikistan (The last four countries broke out of the Soviet Union.)

On April 24, 1997, the bloc countries signed a treaty on the reduction of troops in border regions at a conference in Moscow. Russia On May 20, 1997, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Chinese President Jiang Zemin signed a declaration Multipolar world which rejects the United States Obviously, the United States tried to apply to this organization, but was rejected.

The Shanghai Five Group's annual summit takes place in Almaty. Kazakhstan in 1998 in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan in 1999 and in Dushanbe Tajikistan in 2000 at the Dushanbe Summit Member agrees to “Resisting interference in the internal affairs of other countries on 'humanitarian' and 'protection of human rights' reasons, and supporting each other's efforts to safeguard the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and social stability of the five countries.”

In 2001, the annual summit returned to Shanghai. There, the five member nations recognized Uzbekistan for the first time in the Shanghai Five mechanism (hence the Shanghai Six). Six heads of state signed it. In the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Declaration of 15 June 2001, it hailed the role of the Shanghai Five Mechanism so far and aimed at moving it to a higher level of cooperation.

In June 2002, the heads of the SCO member states met in St. Petersburg. There they signed the SCO Charter, which outlined the objectives, principles, structure and operating model of the organization. and stipulated in international law.

In July 2005, at the summit in Astana, Kazakhstan Representatives from India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan attended the first SCO summit. Greet guests with words you've never used before. before in any context “The leaders of this state at the negotiating table represent half of the world's humanity.”

As of 2007, the SCO has initiated more than 20 large-scale projects related to transport, energy and telecommunications, and holds regular meetings on security, military, defense, foreign affairs, economy, culture, banking and other fields. from member countries

In July 2015 in Ufa, Russia, the SCO decided to accept India and Pakistan as full members. The two signed a memorandum of commitment in June 2016 in Tashkent. Uzbekistan The process of officially joining the SCO as a full member began on 9 June 2017 at the Astana Summit. India and Pakistan have officially joined the SCO as full members.

The SCO established relations with the United Nations in 2004, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2005, the Mutual Security Treaty Organization in 2007, the Organization for Economic Cooperation in 2007, 2011 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2014 Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and the 2014 Economic Commission. and the United Nations Society for Asia and the Pacific in 2015, the SCO Regional Counterterrorism Structure (RATS) established a relationship with the African Center for the Study and Research on African Union Terrorism (ACSRT). ) in 2018 (where all organizations sent representatives to attend the meeting as observers).

It is worth noting that the SCO, led by China and Russia, has included longtime rivals such as India and Pakistan. Join as a member on the same agenda and is an organization that is expanding both in the military economy and society Without the United States and the EU involved at all.

With President Xi Jinping assuming a third term, China has entered a new era with With the creation of a new power with this world, with the power of the United States and Europe declining — so the dragon is rising in international diplomacy!!

Thank you for the source: https://thaipublica.org/