In the wake of recent regional conflicts, the Middle East has once again become a testing ground for major power competition. Although US-China relations are largely defined by strategic rivalry, the region also raises the question of whether cooperation on shared concerns remains possible. Track 2 dialogues have explored potential common ground in areas such as regional stability, while also exposing where the two sides clash most sharply, and why. In this talk, Prof. She Gangzheng, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Overseas Security at Tsinghua University and currently a visiting scholar at Harvard University, will share insights from his recent involvement in Sino-US projects exploring avenues for cooperation in the region, unpacking both the opportunities and the challenges for engagement.