2016年1月19日至23日，中國國家主席習近平對沙特、埃及和伊朗進行正式友好訪問，開啟其2016年的外交首訪以及任內的首次中東之行。這次訪問是在近期沙特與伊朗矛盾激化，美國、歐盟和聯合國等對伊朗制裁取消，以及敘利亞戰事正酣的背景下進行的，因此中東國家乃至整個國際社會都高度關注此次訪問，希望看清中國將在中東扮演什麼樣的新角色。在筆者看來，習主席五天內對三個國家的密集訪問中，雖然簽署了眾多協議，發表了多次重要講話，但他傳遞給中東乃至世界的重要信息主要聚焦兩個方面：在經濟層面，中國要通過“一帶一路”做中東經濟發展的助推者；在和平安全層面，中國要通過“三不政策”做中東和平安全的建設者。

首先，中國要做中東經濟發展的助推者。連接歐亞非三大洲的中東地區戰略地位重要，資源豐富，但近年來由於受“阿拉伯之春”所激發的劇烈政治重構和社會轉型的影響，經濟發展基本處於停滯甚至衰退狀態。如習近平主席此次出訪的沙特、埃及和伊朗三國，沙特因近年油價下跌和參與也門戰事，2016年度已出現近千億美元的財政預算赤字。埃及近兩年政局剛剛企穩，卻因西奈半島伊斯蘭國分支擊落俄羅斯客機等恐怖襲擊事件遭遇旅遊業寒冬。伊朗則因核問題承受了西方長達36年的經濟制裁，剛剛迎來制裁解除所帶來的經濟發展曙光。另外，中東國家雖然油氣資源豐富，但普遍工業基礎薄弱，基礎設施老化，製造業產能不足。因此，迫切需要通過經濟發展來鞏固近年劇烈政治重構和社會轉型後來之不易的穩定。

而中國經過30多年改革開放的高速經濟發展，已經積累了巨大的工業產能和基礎設施建設能力，完全有能力給中東地區帶去充沛的工業製品、成套設備、基礎設施建設項目和豐富的投資。因此，通過以橫貫亞歐的“一帶一路”倡議為抓手來實現與相關區域國家發展項目的對接，重現“古絲綢之路”的商業繁榮，不僅可推動中東地區經濟發展，而且對實現中國“十三五”規劃提出的“兩個一百年”宏偉目標具有獨特的重要意義。此次習近平主席訪問的中東三國對“一帶一路”倡議均持熱烈歡迎態度，三國不僅均為亞投行創始成員，而且還把自身發展戰略與“一帶一路”倡議的對接視為本國未來經濟發展的重要歷史機遇。如埃及政府近期已啟動“蘇伊士運河走廊經濟帶”開發計劃，將把綿延190公里的運河沿岸建設成為全球性經濟區域，作為溝通亞非和對接“一帶一路”倡議的橋樑。沙特也在2016年開始實施新的“五年計劃”，力促實現經濟多元化。伊朗在核制裁被取消後，更將迎來經濟發展的空前機遇。又如，習近平訪埃期間，中埃兩國還簽署宣布了有關“一帶一路”的合作備忘錄，中國向埃及提供10億美元貸款，承諾在亞投行框架內推進與埃及的基礎設施合作等。

另外，習近平主席在埃及開羅阿拉伯聯盟總部發表演講時還表示，為促進中東工業化進程，中國將聯合阿拉伯國家，共同實施中阿產能對接行動，包括設立150億美元的中東工業化專項貸款，用於同地區國家開展的產能合作、基礎設施建設項目，同時向中東國家提供100億美元商業性貸款，支持開展產能合作；提供100億美元優惠性質貸款，並提高優惠貸款優惠度；同阿聯酋、卡塔爾設立共計200億美元的共同投資基金，主要投資於中東傳統能源、基礎設施建設、高端製造業等。

其次，中國要做中東和平安全的建設者。眾所周知，中東地區國家政局和國家間關係錯綜複雜，熱點衝突不斷，常被認為是“大國（外交）的墳墓”。長期以來，美國和歐盟是該地區局勢影響力最大的域外大國和國際力量。近年來，隨着俄羅斯深度捲入敘利亞內戰以及高調軍事打擊伊斯蘭國，普京總統領導下的俄羅斯也開始闊步從軍事層面重返中東。比較而言，雖然在中東經濟發展、衝突地區重建以及人道主義援助等方面，中國作出了很多積極貢獻，但在中東衝突的外交解決方面則較少聽到中國聲音和看到中國方案。但近年來，中國的中東和平外交越來越呈現出“奮發有為”的積極進取姿態。如對巴以衝突這一中東地區的根源性問題，中國政府在2013年5月分別邀請巴勒斯坦國總統阿巴斯和以色列總理內塔尼亞胡訪華。習近平主席不僅分別會見了巴以雙方領導人，親自做“促談與說和”的工作，而且提出了中方關於解決巴勒斯坦問題的四點主張，包括：堅持巴勒斯坦獨立建國、巴以兩國和平共處這一正確方向；將談判作為實現巴以和平的唯一途徑；堅持“土地換和平”等原則不動搖；國際社會應該為推進和平進程提供重要保障。今年1月13日，中國政府首次發佈的《中國對阿拉伯國家政策文件》中也明確重申了上述四點主張，指出“中國支持中東和平進程，支持建立以1967年邊界為基礎、以東耶路撒冷為首都、享有完全主權的獨立的巴勒斯坦國”。另外，對持續四年多的敘利亞衝突，中國近年來不僅以聯合國安理會常任理事國身份在聯合國以及聯合國主導的有關敘利亞問題的多邊談判中積極推動敘利亞問題的政治解決進程，而且在不久前分別邀請敘利亞政府副總理和最大的反對派組織“敘利亞全國聯盟”主席訪華，推動雙方落實去年底聯合國一致通過的敘利亞和平政治過渡路線圖決議。

2016年元旦習近平主席發表的新年賀詞說，“世界那麼大，問題那麼多，國際社會期待聽到中國聲音、看到中國方案，中國不能缺席”。這種“不缺席”的外交新理念在此次習近平主席出訪中東的過程中也有充分體現。如在與沙特發表的聯合聲明中不迴避中東的衝突問題，並用相當多的篇幅闡明了中國對敘利亞和也門衝突的看法。在阿盟總部發表的演講中首次明確提出中國中東政策的“三不原則”，即中國在中東“不找代理人”，而是勸和促談；“不搞勢力範圍”，而是推動大家一起加入“一帶一路”朋友圈；“不謀求填補'真空'”，而是編織互利共贏的合作夥伴網絡。可見，中國雖在衝突解決的外交層面是參與中東地區事務的一個後來者，但並不想急急填補美國撤出後留下的所謂“安全真空”，在參與路徑上也不搞“拉一派打一派”的冷戰俗套，而是堅持一直以來秉承的中立、客觀和不偏不倚的外交政策，以發展求穩定，以合作求安全。

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid official visits to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran on Jan. 1 through 9, marking his first diplomatic trip in the new year as well as his first visit to the Middle East in his tenure of presidency.Given the latest escalation of conflicts between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the lift of the US, EU and UN sanctions against Iran and the intensified warfare in Syria, Xi's visits have drawn close attention from Middle East countries and the international community, who all hope to find out what kind of a role China will play in the region.During the tightly scheduled visits over five days, Xi signed a batch of agreements and delivered a number of important speeches. The messages he thus put across were centered on two aspects. On the economic field, China wants to stimulate the Middle East's development through the “Belt and Road” project; on security concerns, China hopes to help build up peace in the region by carrying out its “Three No” policy.

Despite of its rich resources and status as a strategically vital region linking Europe, Asia and Africa, the Middle East has in recent years seen its economic growth remaining stagnant. Take the three countries Xi recently visited for example. Saudi Arabia has run up a budget deficit of nearly $100 billion because of a ceaselessly slumping oil price and its involvement in the Yemeni war. Egypt had scarcely recovered from political instability before a series of terrorist attacks, such as the downing of a Russian passenger plane by the Islamic State forces on the Sinai Peninsula, plunged the country's tourism industry into a chilly winter. Iran has suffered West-imposed economic sanctions for 36 years over the nuclear issue, though it is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the lifting of the sanctions.Though endowed with abundant reserves of oil and natural gas, most Middle East countries are suffering a weak industrial foundation, obsolete infrastructure and inadequate manufacturing capacity.

After more than 30 years of high-speed growth of its economy, China has developed an enormous capacity for industrial manufacturing and infrastructure construction, making itself fully capable to offer industrial products, complete sets of equipment, infrastructure construction projects and capital investment to the Middle East region. China's initiative for building “One Belt and One Road” across Asia and Europe can well coordinate with relevant countries' development projects. That will not only promote the Middle East region's economic development but is also of particular significance to China's “13th Five-Year Plan”.The three countries Xi recently visited all expressed enthusiasm for the “One Belt and One Road” initiative. As launching members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, they all hope to connect their own development strategy with the Belt and Road initiative and regard the connection as a vital opportunity for their future development of economy. For instance, Egypt has recently launched a plan for building a “Suez Corridor Economic Belt” to turn the 190-km canal banks into a global-focused economic zone and a bridge linking Asia and Africa that connects with the Belt and Road initiative. During Xi's visit to Egypt, the two countries signed a memorandum for cooperation on the Belt and Road project; China offered a loan of $1 billion to Egypt and promised to help with its infrastructure construction within the framework of the AIIB.

Saudi Arabia also started a new five-year plan this year to diversify its economic components. Iran is expecting an unprecedented opportunity for economic development now that trade sanctions have been lifted.When addressing his Egyptian hosts at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, President Xi said that China would cooperate with Arab countries for “docking” their productive capacity with that of China. His announcements included providing Middle East countries with a $15 billion loan exclusively for infrastructure construction and a $10 billion concessional loan with a bigger-than-usual margin of preference and setting up a joint fund of $20 billion with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for investing in traditional energy sources, infrastructure construction and high-end manufacturing industries.

In addition to a role as a contributor to Middle East economic development, China is also committed to promotion of peace and security in the region. Political situations in Middle East countries and their relations are complicated and conflicts flare up frequently. For decades the United States and European Union have been the largest external forces to influence the region. Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin is also returning to the region by getting involved in Syrian civil war and launching military strikes on Islamic State targets in a flaunting way. China, however, seldom said anything or offered its own plan for settling the conflicts in the region, though it has made significant contributions to promoting economic development, rebuilding war-torn areas and giving humanitarian aid in Middle East. Nevertheless, it has become more and more diplomatically active in recent years to seek a peaceful solution of the region's problems.

In his New Year message, President Xi said explicitly: “The world is so big and has so many problems that the international community hopes to hear China's voice and see China's plans. China should not be absent.” This new idea of “no absence” diplomacy was developed in Xi's Middle East visit. For instance, the joint statement with Saudi Arabia devoted a fairly large part to explaining China's take on Syrian and Yemeni issues. In his speech made at the Arab League headquarters Xi specified the “Three No” principles for China's Middle East policy. China will, first, “seek no agent” in the region but rather call for the conflicting parties to negotiate for peace; second, “seek no sphere of influence” but rather urge everybody to join the “Belt and Road” circle of friends; and third, “seek no 'power vacuum' to fill” but rather create a partnership network for common benefits.These facts proved that despite being a latecomer in the Middle East diplomacy for settling the conflicts in the region, China has no intention to fill up the “security vacuum” left by the withdrawal of the US force from Iraq. Nor does it adopt the Cold War practice of partisanship; instead, it has persisted in a neutral, objective and impartial foreign policy. China takes development as a means for maintaining stability, and cooperation as a guarantee for security.