ABSTRACT
This chapter studies China’s involvement in the Middle East through the Belt and Road Initiative. Section 1 analyzes China’s main aims, namely political, economic, and energy cooperation with these subregion major actors. Section 2 focuses on Sino-Iranian growing cooperation in the region. It argues that Beijing gets an opportunity to use Iran’s potential for strengthening its role in the Middle East and improve safety of transportation routes of Belt and Road.
Section 3 argues that China has improved its reputation, as a provider of medical aid to the Middle Eastern partners in need during the outbreak of COVID-19. China’s challenge in the Middle East is how to maintain friendly relations with all states and at the same time strengthening them despite the various disputes at stake. If by 2021, China kept the balance between regional players interested in BRI investments, from now on China will have to deal with Washington pressure against its partners not to halt cooperation with Beijing. To counterbalance US pressure, China can cooperate with Russia. Given the still unsolved religious and political issues, it is found that a political and nonconfrontational solution between United States and China for the Middle East is in the best interests of all actors involved.
