The international community once de- scribed China’s Middle East diplomatic policy using phrases such as “moderation，” “detachment，” or “lack of imagination.”But as its status as a global player grows， China is no longer merely a distant observer of events in the volatile region.
　　 Active involvement
　　On January 20， Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward a five-point proposal in Beijing on politically solving the ongoing Syrian crisis. He suggested that the opposing sides in the war-torn country should find agreements on specific arrangements and a practical timeframe for the country’s political transition as soon as possible and establish a transitional governing body based on mutual consent. Wang went to Switzerland’s Monteux for the Geneva II Conference on Syria the following day. Representatives from 40 countries and regions reached three points of consensus on supporting a political resolution at the conference， solidly reflecting China’s proposition.
　　On February 6， Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Sochi and participated in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. During his visit， Xi and Putin held a video chat with captains of Chinese and Russian na- val vessels escorting the shipments of Syrian chemical weapons， encouraging crew members onboard the vessels to contribute to the international mission to safely destroy them.
　　China， Russia， Denmark and Norway have been jointly participating in the escort of shipping Syrian chemical weapons since the end of 2013 to implement the resolutions on destroying chemical weapons in Syria of the UN Security Council and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In addition， China has provided six shipments of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan， Turkey and Lebanon.
　　China has few direct interests in Syria. Bilateral trade volume stands at only about$2 billion annually. Unlike in other Middle East countries， Chinese enterprises have a limited amount of investment， engineering contracts and labor cooperation in Syria. Nor has China imported crude oil from Syria.
　　China has acted as a diplomatic lube， entering the Iranian nuclear issue as well as being a constructive participant in the “6+1” conference， which involves the five permanent members of the UN Security Council， Germany and Iran. China was the first to suggest that the West cancel new sanctions against Iran. Moreover， they should now find a phased agreement to establish mutual trust， so as to pave the way for a complete agreement. 　　Washington needs the help of China， which it does not consider as a strong strategic competitor in the Middle East. China and the United States are opening new channels to coordinate and cooperate on Middle East issues. In 2011， they founded a Middle East consultation mechanism. Also， if China is included in the Middle East Quartet， it is expected to become the new backbone of bilateral cooperation on Middle East issues. China and the United States have maintained practical cooperation on the Iranian nuclear issue as well.
　　Putting differences aside， a new era is arriving in which the four major powers of the United States， Russia， the EU and China will drive geopolitical changes in the Middle East. In such an era， the prospects for peace are stronger. Many Chinese observers believe that Washington wishes to draw back its antenna to support its “pivot to Asia” policy intended to cope with China’s rise. Mutual distrust between China and the United States can be traced in their cooperation in the Middle East. The only way to diminish their distrust is to conduct greater cooperation that can create more peace in the region.