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Chinese President Xi Jinping told Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said in Beijing on November 2, 2026, that deepening ties is a shared strategic choice. Xi said relations are at a new historical starting point, according to Reuters. Xi also said the Middle East and Gulf region should not become a battleground for great-power rivalry and that China is willing to work with Arab nations toward lasting peace, Reuters reported. China has traditionally played a low-key diplomatic role in the region but has stepped up efforts to help end tensions amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz and driven up global energy and shipping costs. Oman has long served as a channel for Iran-related diplomacy.