China and Qatar enter 'golden decade' of expanded ties amid Iran war — SkimNews
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- Qatar and China agreed to expand cooperation in energy, investment, and advanced technologies during PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani's two-day visit, with officials describing the relationship as entering a new 'golden decade.'
- China pledged increased coordination with Doha to restore regional peace and stability amid the Iran war, while Qatar said it would prioritize energy supply to China despite difficulties, per the source.
- Bilateral energy ties anchor the partnership: China is Qatar's largest trading partner with $23.8bn in trade last year; Qatar supplied China 19.4 million tonnes of LNG in 2025 (its second-largest source), and QatarEnergy holds 27-year LNG supply agreements with CNPC and Sinopec.
- Beijing and Doha take asymmetric approaches to Tehran — China has refused to criticize Iran's attacks or its disruption of the Strait of Hormuz and places primary blame on the US and Israel, while Qatar has publicly condemned Tehran for strikes on its territory and neighboring Gulf states.
- Qatar hosts Al Udeid, the largest US military base in the Middle East, which was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile on March 3 (no casualties), reinforcing Doha's security partnership with Washington even as it deepens ties with Beijing.
- Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for deeper cooperation in renewable energy, infrastructure, AI, and finance; 520 Chinese companies now operate in Qatar, generating more than $3bn in investment and over 3,200 jobs over the past decade.
Why it matters: China's refusal to criticize Iran while deepening ties with Qatar — host of the largest US base in the Middle East — signals Beijing is positioning as an indispensable Gulf diplomatic actor without replacing US security guarantees. For Qatar, $23.8bn in bilateral trade and 19.4 million tonnes of LNG supply give Beijing genuine stakes in Strait of Hormuz de-escalation.
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