China’s growing role in the Middle East

By Ambassador Yasser Elnaggar as featured on Middle East Institute

While the world is engaged in an ongoing discussion about the ramifications of the trade war between Washington and Beijing, the economies of the Middle East are shifting away from their longstanding ties with the U.S. toward economically powerful China — a move that may have long-term implications for the economic and political dynamics of the region.

There is no doubt that the relationship between the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and China has taken a significant turn in the 21st century. China’s rapid economic growth necessitated an aggressive approach in pursuit of much-needed natural resources. The MENA region was largely excluded from China’s pivot toward Asia and Africa, and it was not until the Arab Spring in 2011 that China adopted a more engaged policy toward the key countries in the region. It was during this period, for example, that China embarked on the evacuation of its 40,000 citizens trapped in the civil conflict in Libya. This action was symbolic of the more active Chinese presence that followed in the region.