Navigating Middle Eastern Disputes: The “Two‐Goods” Approach of China's Constructive Intervention*

Abstract

In recent years, China has sought to modify its traditional low‐key approach to the Middle East by adopting a “constructive intervention” strategy. Our research examines what China's self‐described constructive intervention entails and how it intends to implement its novel approach. Combining quantitative and qualitative research, we analyze the discourse of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespeople at press conferences and telephone call‐ins. Our findings indicate that the narratives of spokespeople are rich in nuance and employ various strategies to obscure their positions, including oscillatory statements, no statements, indirect statements, and responses of “no idea.” The constructive intervention is essentially a selective intervention strategy, and it provides Beijing with greater latitude and flexibility to adjust its decisions and maneuvers in order to achieve “two‐goods” foreign policy: (i) changing the undesirable elements and (ii) preserving the favorable elements of the status quo.