Publication

This paper discusses the direction of China's policy towards and relations with the Middle East as well as how these could affect Beijing's relations with the US. The author contends that China’s growing dependence on foreign oil makes it increasingly reliant on the Middle East. However, to date, Beijing's actions in the region have not been directed by any long-term strategy but rather dictated by immediate needs. He then examines the two main opposing views in Chinese debate about the country's future role in the Middle East, both of which, he says, focus on its relationship with the US.