China and New Middle East

ABSTRACT

A New Middle East is emerging, which is shaped by the result of geo-strategic competitions in the region among key state actors. The power structure of the new Middle East can be summarized as a weakened and divided Arab world facing more powerful non-Arab actors, which has conditioned the emergence of three significant camps in the region. Major regional state actors and some sub-state armed actors are playing an increasing role in the geo-strategic competitions in the focal point countries of Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Libya. China has important interests in the Middle East, and key elements of its policy are taking shape. Institutional mechanisms of cooperation have been created and a network of partnerships with some regional countries has been established. The Belt and Road Initiative remains the key framework for China’s cooperation with the region.

Acknowledgements

Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

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18. Ibid.

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Bingbing Wu

Bingbing Wu is State of Qatar Chair Professor in Middle East Studies at Peking University, Senior Research Fellow of Institute for International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, and deputy director of Department of Arabic Language and Culture as well as director of Center of Middle East Studies, Peking University. His research interests focus on politics of contemporary Middle East, China-Middle Eastern relations, Shi’i Islam and Iranian studies, and Islamist movements. He is the author of The Rise of the Modern Shi’i Islamism (CASS Press, 2004), and also published a number of academic articles. He is currently a board member of Chinese Society of Middle Eastern Studies, board member of China-Arab Friendship Association and China–Iran Friendship Association.