The visit of the Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah II, to China lasted 5 days, raising expectations about a strategic path for bilateral relations.
The visit included a series of activities that began with representatives of major investment companies in multiple sectors, and ended with a political meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
When it comes to the political aspect of this visit, which is considered one of the longest foreign visits by the Jordanian state, one can focus on the issue that the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, emphasized during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, as he spoke about an active and expected role for China in establishing security, stability and the peace process in the region.
This role involves easing the pressure exerted by the Israeli right-wing government and the hardening and extreme stance of the American administration in adopting the Israeli right-wing perspective. According to former Royal Court Chief Jawad Anani, China is “a key and important player in restoring balance to the peace process, which Jordan still hopes to revive.”
Safadi had previously about Jordan's efforts and interest in ensuring that major powers, especially China, remain deeply concerned with the Palestinian issue, upholding the rights of the Palestinian people, and establishing or reviving the foundations of the peace process in the region.
Therefore, Jordan hopes for greater Chinese involvement in the Middle East conflict and the Palestinian issue.
Safadi had previously told about Jordan’s efforts and interest in ensuring that major powers, especially China, remain very interested in the Palestinian issue, in upholding the rights of the Palestinian people, and in establishing the foundations of the peace process in the region or returning to it.
While Jordan supported an internal Palestinian reconciliation initiative in coordination with Egypt about two years ago, the Beijing document for Palestinian national reconciliation will soon return to the spotlight.
From here, the political discussions focused on motivating and encouraging Beijing to get closer to the peace process, and launching initiatives that Jordan could adopt and promote to the official Arab system and the moderate camp.
Diversifying strategic options, in its political, economic and investment sense, is a permanent Jordanian goal, as the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Khalil Al-Hajj Tawfiq, told , stressing that the existence of a strategic character to Jordanian-Chinese relations is in the mutual interest of the two countries, peoples and nations, without this meaning that Jordan is replacing one trade and economic partner with another.
Therefore, Jordanian officials in both the public and private sectors were careful to avoid giving the impression that the royal visit was related to a commercial distancing from the United States.
It is no longer possible, politically, economically and in terms of security, to put all Jordanian options in one basket, according to writer Munther Al-Hawarat, who said in a published article what officials in the Jordanian state do not say.
Therefore, closer ties with China have become a very urgent priority for a country like Jordan, not only for economic and trade reasons, given the growth of partnerships in multiple sectors, but also for strategic and political reasons, according to Al-Hiwarat and other sources. In light of the crisis that followed the US war on Iran, China, along with other countries including Turkey and Pakistan, has become a key and pivotal player with whom continuous communication is essential.
The Jordanian monarch's visit, which lasted five long days and included various activities, was an important step in building economic, political, and perhaps even security relations, especially given reports indicating Jordan's admiration for China's experience with the Algerian armed forces.
Diversifying options, according to Islamic political analyst Rami Al-Ayasrah, reduces the intensity of right-wing American and Israeli pressure on Jordan and on Jordanian geography, which has become a target for many regional factors and agendas.
The visit of the King of Jordan, which lasted for 5 long days and included various and diverse activities, is an important milestone for building economic, political, and perhaps security relations, especially since circles indicate Jordan’s admiration for China’s experience with the Algerian armed forces.
However, the question of Jordan's alliances with the US administration looms large over the overall climate of the partnership-building process with China.
Economically, the visit began in the cities of Shanghai and Shenzhen, the source of the Chinese technology industry, and included dialogues with pioneers and leaders of Chinese companies with the aim of providing them with opportunities and facilities to invest in exporting and manufacturing in Jordan.
According to economic researcher Ziad Zuwaneh, China is looking for a gateway to the Middle East, and Jordan currently holds the key. The equation between the two countries is a win-win in its commercial, economic, investment, and cooperative dimensions.
Establishing the pillars of this equation requires political cover. No one knows whether it will be subject to fluctuations and interventions, or whether it will become more stable and turn into a pillar in the next few weeks, at least in Jordan.
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