China’s New Diplomacy in the Middle East and Its Implication for the United States

Abstract

Why is China interested in the Middle East? What are China's strategies to promote its interests in the Middle East? How influential is China in the region? Where do America's and China's interests converge and diverge in the Middle East? These are some important yet understudied issues. This paper examines Chinese diplomacy towards the Middle East since the early 1990s, with focus on China's efforts in obtaining oil, and its fight against separatism and terrorism along its northwestern border. It explores how Chinese activities affect US interests and US-China relations. The paper argues that China's policy towards the Middle East has primarily been driven by economic concerns so far. As its economic power continues to grow, China is expected to expand its political, diplomatic and cultural influence in the region. Despite their differences on issues such as how to deal with Iran, the United States and China have many common interests in the Middle East such as safeguarding energy security, promoting peace, and combating terrorism.