ABSTRACT
This introduction chapter presents overview of key concepts covered in subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores a number of issues of importance not just to the Middle East/North Africa (MENA)-East Asia (EA) relationship but to the features of contemporary world politics and debates in international relations (IR) theory. A framework of analysis that can adequately capture the complex dynamics of the MENA-EA relations has to operate on three levels such as the inter-regional level, the global level and the state level. Still, in the long term, the potential competition posed to United States (US) finance capital in the combination of Asian productive prowess and MENA hydrocarbon reserves and financial liquidity could shift the global power balance against US hegemony. China's stand on behalf of the principles of sovereignty and non-interference was much more congruent with the interests of Middle East states amidst the Bush administration's policy of interference in the MENA region.
