Leaders from the Arab and Muslim world were welcomed in Beijing in a sign that China is stepping up its international role by filling up a power vacuum left by the US, according to political analyst Ibrahim Fraihat, Al Jazeera reports.

“The US has shot itself in the foot by throwing all of its weight behind Israel’s side and by doing so, it has diminished its role as a credible third-party intervener,” Fraihat, of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told the news outlet.

“They [Chinese authorities] are very interested in this role — they have strong ties with Israel, they have the trust of the Palestinians and weight in the international system,” he added, referring to China’s veto power at the UN Security Council.