The story: China is hosting Iran’s foreign minister, who earlier this week toured Oman and Qatar. The Iranian chief diplomat’s visit follows Beijing’s welcoming of a senior delegation from the Gulf Arab states. 

The Saudi foreign minister on Jan. 10 met with his Chinese counterpart to enhance bilateral relations. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was part of a delegation that included the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary-general as well as the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. The Chinese engagement with both Iran and Gulf states comes amid Iran-US tensions and perceptions of a US withdrawal from the region.

The coverage: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is set to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional issues and international matters during his visit...