Noninterference and assistance best for Middle East

The success of the Iranian nuclear deal between Iran and the six powers, which included China, is a brilliant example of how China's consistent proposal of dialogue and negotiation rather than sanctions or use of force has eventually prevailed.

At present, China is only involved militarily in the Middle East in peacekeeping operations and evacuating people from war-torn countries. More than 400 Chinese peacekeepers are deployed in Lebanon. Given the situation in Syria, it is widely believed an international peacekeeping force might be needed one day.

In this regard, some of China's 8,000-strong standby peacekeeping force could be deployed in Syria to monitor a ceasefire and supervise an armistice agreement.

In 2011 and 2015, Chinese naval ships helped evacuate both Chinese and foreign nationals from war-torn Libya and Yemen. In March, China and the United Kingdom held a Non-Combatant Evacuation Table Top Exercise in Nanjing. The scenario was based upon their respective experiences of evacuating their nationals from the Middle East.

This was the first joint effort by two permanent members of the UN Security Council to address a highly possible scenario in future. It represented a refreshing new model of cooperation among major powers.

The Middle East is often described as a touchstone for the major powers. However if that means major powers' involvement, or more often, intervention, is unavoidable or even justifiable, it is simply wrong. China needs to beware that such a "vacuum" doesn't turn out to be a trap.

Zhou Bo is an honorary research fellow with the Center of China-American Defense Relations at the Academy of Military Science.