犹如平地一声雷，沙特与伊朗在北京对话后宣布达成协议，将恢复双方外交关系，消息震动世界。世界各国纷纷表示欢迎，联合国秘书长古特雷斯发表声明，感谢中国的努力。此次事件对中东地区安全局势必将产生积极深远影响，为当前动荡不安的世界提供重大利好消息，并为以和平对话解决相关国际问题树立了典范。这是中国全球安全倡议的一次成功实践，展现了中国的大国担当，开启了世界新的和平发展进程。

　　沙特和伊朗作为两个中东大国，百年来因宗教等原因结下“世仇”。最近几年更断绝了外交关系，一度处于战争边缘。外国媒体曾断言，在没有美国主导的前提下，两国短期内没有恢复建交的可能性。正因如此，当中国、沙特、伊朗三方联合声明公布后，震撼性可想而知。有评论甚至认为，其意义可与1978年的埃以“戴维营协议”和1993年的“巴以协议”相提并论。

　　为什么沙伊可以实现“世纪和解”？这既有两国对各自利益的现实考虑，更与中国的斡旋角色密不可分。首先，两国之间的共同利益逐渐大于分歧。美国长期在中东推行分化政策，一方面对伊朗采取极限施压、全面封堵的做法，另一方面又极力推动沙特对抗伊朗。但时移势易，随着美沙关系的微妙变化，沙特认识到继续同伊朗对抗已越来越不符合自身国家利益，而伊朗也需要打开外交局面，这为各自转变政策提供了空间。

　　另一方面，沙伊同意复交并不是一蹴而就的，而是有着一个较为长期的谈判、酝酿的过程。正如在北京对话后公布的联合声明所言，伊拉克、阿曼此前也为沙伊承办过多轮对话。但即便如此，百年来有不少中东国家都曾力图促进沙伊两国和解，但无一不以失败告终，说明这并非达成和解的根本原因。

　　决定性的因素在于中国所发挥的积极作用。与美国长期扮演的“破坏者”角色不同，中国在中东地区没有任何私利，尊重中东国家主人翁地位，反对在中东搞地缘政治竞争。而中国与中东国家广泛保持着友好关系，过去多年来，通过“一带一路”倡议等，双方展开了广泛的合作，中方的真诚和务实得到各国的高度认可。

　　2022年12月，习近平主席对沙特进行国事访问，并出席中沙、中海、中阿“三环峰会”。今年2月，应习近平主席邀请，伊朗总统莱希对中国进行国事访问。元首外交对推动对话和谈，发挥了至关重要的作用。经过大量细致、耐心的工作，中国用自身智慧和影响力助力沙伊找到合作对话的最大公约数。正如中共中央政治局委员、中央外办主任王毅所指出的，这是对话的胜利、和平的胜利。作为一个善意、可靠的斡旋者，中方忠实履行了东道主职责。未来还将继续根据各国的愿望，为妥善处理当今世界的热点问题发挥建设性作用，展现大国担当。

　　当今世界百年未有之大变局在加速演变，东升西降的趋势不可逆转。中国作为中东安全稳定的促进者、发展繁荣的合作者、团结自强的推动者，必将继续为世界和平贡献中国智慧和力量。此次沙伊在中国斡旋之下同意恢复建交，让世界进一步看到了中国全球安全倡议的积极意义和作用，为解决其他冲突树立了榜样。

It is a victory for dialogue and a victory for peace

Like a bolt out of the blue, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced, after a dialogue held in Beijing, that they have reached an agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations. The news shook the world. Many countries expressed their welcome. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement expressing his appreciation to China. Bound to have a positive and far-reaching impact on the security situation in the Middle East, this event provides a major favourable news for the currently turbulent world and sets an examples for solving relevant international problems through peaceful dialogue. This is a successful practice of China's Global Security Initiative, showing China's commitment as a major country and opening a new course of peaceful development for the world.

Saudi Arabia and Iran, two big countries in the Middle East, have been locked in a century-long feud due to religious and other reasons. Having severed their diplomatic ties in recent several years, they were even once on the verge of war. Foreign media once asserted that there was no possibility for these two countries to restore diplomatic ties without the United States to play a leading role. It is because of this, one can imagine how shocking the impact is when the Joint Tripartite Statement by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran was issued. Some commentaries even maintain that its significance could be put on a par with that of the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel signed in 1978 and the Oslo Accord between Palestine and Israel in 1993.

How come Saudi Arabia and Iran could strike a détente deal after a century-long feud? Surely, the two countries have their realistic considerations out of their own interests, yet this could not have been done without China playing the role as a mediator. First of all, common interests of the two countries become increasingly greater than their differences.　　The U.S. has for a long time carried out a division policy in the Middle East. Washington on the one hand adopts the practice of exerting maximum pressure on Iran to comprehensively contain the country, while on the other hand spares no effort to instigate Saudi Arabia to antagonise Iran. Times and things have changed. With subtle changes in U.S.-Saudi Arabia relations, Saudi Arabia has realised that continuing to antagonise Iran becomes increasingly out of accord with its own national interests. Iran also needs to make a breakthrough in its diplomacy. This provides each of them room for manoeuvre to change its policy.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia and Iran reaching an agreement to restore diplomatic ties is accomplished not in one stroke but through a rather long process of negotiations and discussions. As mentioned in the Joint Trilateral Statement released after the Beijing dialogue, Iraq and Oman had earlier also hosted rounds of dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran. And in the past 100 years, quite a few Middle Eastern countries had also made efforts to facilitate reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran but all ended in failure. It is evident that this is not the fundamental reason for the two countries to become reconciled.

A decisive factor lies in the positive role played by China. Different from the "saboteur" role played by the U.S. over a long period of time, China has no self-interest in the Middle East, China respects the "master" status of Middle East countries and is opposed to engaging in geopolitical competition in the Middle East. Maintain friendly relations with Middle Eastern countries extensively, China has over past many years fostered wide-ranging cooperation with them through the Belt and Road Initiative, etc. China's sincerity and pragmatic approach win high recognition in the region.

In December, 2022, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Saudi Arabia and successively attended the three Summits between China and Saudi Arabia, China and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and China and Arab States. Invited by President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi paid a state visit to China in February. The head-of-state diplomacy has played a crucial part in facilitate dialogue and reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Through a lot of painstaking and patient efforts, China with its own wisdom and influence has helped Saudi Arabia and Iran to find the greatest common divisor for their cooperation and dialogue. As pointed out by Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, it is a victory for dialogue and victory for peace. As a good-faith and reliable mediator, China has earnestly fulfilled its duties as the host. In keeping with its responsibility as a major country and the wishes of the countries concerned, China will continue to play a constructive role in facilitating the proper settlement of hot-spot issues around the world.

Evolution of the situation in our world dominated by changes unseen in a century keeps accelerating, and the general trend of the East rising and the West declining becomes irreversible. China, as a facilitator for security and stability in the Middle East, a cooperator for development and prosperity and a promotor for solidarity and self-improvement, is bound to continue contributing its wisdom and strength to world peace. This time, mediated by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reestablish diplomatic tie. Setting an example for solving other conflicts, this enables the world to see the positive significance and effect of China's Global Security Initiative.