King Abdullah II's interview with China's official Xinhua news agency reflects a broader Jordanian strategy for navigating change in the international order, analysts say, one built on diversifying partnerships and expanding options while keeping the Palestinian cause at the center of foreign policy.
اضافة اعلان
Political and strategic analysts told Al-Ghad that the King's decision to link the Palestinian issue with China's rising influence and the ascent of Global South nations carries a deliberate message: resolving the Palestinian question is no longer the responsibility of a single global power.
The growing Chinese role, combined with the rise of Global South states, opens the door to a more multilateral push behind the two-state solution, they said.
Highlighting China's role signals Jordanian recognition that Beijing has become a center of economic and political gravity, according to the analysts. Amman, they argued, can draw on that influence to support Arab causes while capturing the economic, trade, investment and technological opportunities a deeper partnership with China offers.
They stressed that this outreach does not signal distance from Washington or the West. Instead, it reflects a policy of diversifying partnerships and expanding options, giving the Kingdom greater room to maneuver as global power balances shift.
Diversifying Diplomatic Options
Military and strategic affairs expert Dr. Nidal Abu Zeid said the growing openness in Jordan's political and diplomatic discourse toward China points to a strategy of diversifying diplomatic options rather than a retreat from the United States, with which Jordan maintains firm strategic ties, particularly in defense and security.
Abu Zeid added that Jordan's outreach to China appears driven primarily by economic and diplomatic considerations, as Beijing's role grows alongside its extensive relationships with major Asian economies. That dynamic, he said, allows Jordan to widen its range of international options and partnerships rather than remaining confined to the Western track.
He explained that the shift also reflects broader changes in how regional states view the United States, particularly given the current alignment of American policy with Israel's positions, at a time when Jordan regards Israel as a source of regional threat.
Building ties with China, Abu Zeid noted, represents an attempt at repositioning and diversification while Jordan awaits greater clarity on the direction of U.S. policy, including the outcome of the upcoming American midterm elections. That clarity, he said, would allow Amman to reassess its posture in light of shifting international and regional dynamics.
A Message to the International Community
Security, political and strategic affairs expert Dr. Bashir al-Dajah said the King's linking of the Palestinian cause to China's rising role and the ascent of the Global South goes beyond a message to Beijing. It reflects, he argued, a Jordanian reading of deep structural change underway in the international system and in how power and influence are distributed globally.
"The most important message in His Majesty's interview is that it was not directed at China alone, but at the entire international community, about the nature of the transformations taking place in the international system," al-Dajah said. Bringing these issues together in a single framework, he explained, underscores that resolving the region's crises is no longer the responsibility of one international actor but requires broader political plurality and the participation of rising powers in shaping solutions.
Al-Dajah said the Palestinian issue holds a central place in this vision, not as a standalone regional file but as a matter directly tied to regional and international security and stability. A prolonged conflict, he argued, perpetuates an environment of tension, extremism and recurring crises.
Jordan, he added, maintains that a resolution must begin with the establishment of an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living alongside Israel in security and peace.
The reference to China, al-Dajah said, reflects Jordanian recognition of Beijing's growing stature and its capacity to influence international affairs, particularly as a permanent member of the UN Security Council with expanding economic and political weight.
He noted that the King's description of China as "an influential voice on the global stage and a key partner" signals that Amman views Beijing as a power whose role can be leveraged to support the two-state solution and broaden the circle of actors engaged in peace efforts.
Al-Dajah was careful to note that the aim is not for China to replace the United States or Europe, but to "widen the circle of actors in the peace process," which could help create greater balance among international positions and strengthen the role of international law and UN resolutions in addressing the Palestinian issue.
He added that the interview's most significant element was its framing of China not merely as an economic power but as an influential force reshaping the international system. Describing China as a "global center of gravity for economic and political power," he said, reflects how its influence has expanded from economics, investment and technology into diplomacy and international security.
The reference to the Global South, al-Dajah said, carries broader strategic weight. It reflects Jordanian recognition that centers of global power are no longer confined to traditional Western states, and that Global South nations now carry growing weight in economic affairs, security, development and the shaping of global governance rules.
This outlook, he said, aligns with a Jordanian foreign policy that favors a more multilateral and balanced international system, one in which Arab states act as partners in shaping global change rather than merely absorbing it, particularly as shared interests between Arab states and China expand across development, trade, investment, energy and security.
Al-Dajah described these messages as a direct reflection of Jordan's foreign policy philosophy, which rests on diversifying partnerships and avoiding alignment with rival blocs. Given its limited capabilities relative to major powers, he said, Jordanian diplomacy seeks to maximize its influence through geography, an extensive network of international relationships, and the ability to engage with multiple centers of power.
Diversifying partnerships, he argued, is therefore not simply an economic choice but part of Jordan's broader national security framework, given challenges spanning energy, water and food security, supply chains, technology and cybersecurity.
On the economic front, al-Dajah said the King's message opens the door to moving Jordan-China relations beyond traditional cooperation and toward a deeper production and investment partnership, one built on complementary strengths: Jordan's strategic location, resources, skilled workforce and free trade agreements, matched against Chinese capital, industrial and technological expertise, and access to Chinese and global markets.
He summarized the King's core message as recognition that "the international system is changing, and the balance of power is gradually spreading across a greater number of centers." China and the Global South, he said, have become actors whose roles cannot be ignored, but Jordan is not seeking to trade one bloc for another. It is instead pursuing a more balanced international order grounded in international law, multilateralism and dialogue.
Al-Dajah stressed that the Palestinian issue remains central to this equation, arguing that any discussion of a fairer, more credible international system is incomplete unless it translates into an end to occupation and the achievement of a two-state solution. That, he said, is why the King called for building on China's role as a meaningful addition to international efforts, not a substitute for any other party.
He described Jordan's current approach as one that can be summarized as diversifying partnerships, expanding options and protecting national interests in a rapidly changing world, without abandoning core national and pan-Arab commitments, foremost among them the Palestinian cause, Jerusalem and the two-state solution.
Recognizing Beijing's Importance
Dr. Khaled Shneikat, president of the Jordanian Political Science Association, said the King's linking of the Palestinian issue to China's growing role reflects Jordanian recognition of Beijing's importance as a rising economic and political power, one whose influence can be mobilized to support Arab causes, chief among them the Palestinian issue, amid rapid change in the international system.
"His Majesty the King, through his engagement with China, recognizes the importance of the Chinese role in the region and the need to activate it in service of Arab causes, foremost of course the Palestinian issue," Shneikat said.
He noted that China has expanded its presence through economic and trade ties and through the Belt and Road Initiative, which has broadened Beijing's links with Arab, African and European countries. That expansion, he said, is helping reshape international power balances and creating wider opportunities for Jordan in trade, industrial cooperation and technology transfer.
Shneikat said the significance of this shift for Jordan extends beyond economics, given the Kingdom's strategic location in a volatile region. Diversifying partnerships with rising powers, China chief among them, he argued, strengthens Jordan's ability to safeguard its interests and benefit from the ongoing realignment of the international system.
He added that the current period offers an opening to deepen economic, trade and industrial cooperation and to advance technology transfer to Jordan, in line with the Kingdom's need to broaden its options and partnerships amid shifting global power balances, while directing these relationships toward supporting Arab causes, foremost the Palestinian issue.
