China and the Middle East: Interests, Challenges, and Implications

In the twenty-first century, the China-Middle East relationship has gained more impetus and entered into the fast track of development. This chapter examines China’s interests, challenges, and implications in the Middle East. It focuses on the Gulf region, which lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Iranian plateau on either side of the Persian Gulf. This is mainly because this region, occupied by the GCC member states and Iran, has witnessed a growing Chinese presence over the decades and is closely linked to Chinese interests. This chapter first analyses China’s principal economic interests in the Middle East and the means by which it pursues them. Second, it argues that at the geostrategic level, China increasingly views the Middle East as a hinge in its efforts to reform the current international order. China seeks to turn economic interdependence into durable political leverage while avoiding deep military entanglement in the region. Third, it examines the constraints China faces: dependence on US-led security guarantees, exposure to regional volatility, the risks of balancing among rival powers, and adverse public opinion in realizing its interests in the Middle East. Fourth, it examines the implications of increasing Chinese presence in the region for India before summarizing the main arguments.