ABSTRACT
The Levant is one of the most conflict-prone sub-regions in the Middle East and has relatively few natural sources. Hence, over the years it has played a secondary role for China compared with other parts of the region. After China initiated the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it began assigning the region greater importance due to its geopolitical position and the diplomatic opportunities it offers. Still, China’s overall political and economic investments in the Levant remained relatively small, as did its willingness to include the Levant in the BRI’s main ground routes. By demonstrating this argument, the chapter challenges the “debt trap” theory.
