Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

This presentation will analyze how some selected Middle Eastern political leaders from Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia perceived and reacted to China’s growing influence in their region from 1992 to 2015. Three geostrategical evolutions justify the choice of this specific time-period: Firstly, it was during those years that the international community realized that Chinese growth had become a new consistent feature of global politics, and was not a passing phenomenon. Secondly, 1992 was the first year when China was holding embassies in every single Middle Eastern country. Thirdly, the fall of the Communist Bloc in the early 90’s left a political vacuum in those countries, one that could potentially be filled by China’s growing influence. Lastly, the ‘Arab-Spring’ made the Middle Eastern political leaders face a new era in the regional political system, and in the international looks toward the region. As a consequence, Middle Eastern leaders started to strengthen significantly their diplomatic and economic ties with China. On their side, Chinese leaders increased the involvement of China in the region, with the specific goals of promoting political stability and securing its strategic interests, the latter being its access to the large quantities of energy resources and to the maritime trade routes that run through the area.