India, April 12 -- Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed bilateral relations in March 2023, following a deal brokered by China and ending a hiatus of seven years. The diplomatic breakthrough underlined Beijing's political inroads into West Asia. Indeed, China's relations with Iran have grown in recent years due to an alignment in their geopolitical interests, while China-Saudi Arabia relations have also notably strengthened. The deepening of the strategic partnership is based on strong energy and economic ties. It underlines the centrality Beijing and Riyadh attach to their developmental agenda, reflected in their decision to align China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' programme.

Increasing political, strategic...