ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the importance of the Middle East to China and its new role in the region. Concomitant to China's expanding footprint in the Middle East is the mounting skepticism that Beijing moves toward raising its geopolitical profile in the region. This chapter examines how the Middle East fits into China's strategic narratives and how China itself fits into its narratives of Sino-Middle Eastern relations. It scrutinizes the evolution process of China's strategic narratives with a focus on the gradual emergence of the Middle East. To do so, this study conducts discourse analysis of Chinese official media reports and articles written by the Chinese elites. The findings show that the Middle East still plays a marginalized role in Beijing's policy-making and that Beijing is far from being ready to formulate long-term strategies for taking a larger political and security role in the region.
