One hundred years ago, the world compelled to ask ourselves how the geopolitical or-
witnessed the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire der of the modern Middle East has evolved in this
and the outbreak of World War I. Both of these particular way. Why has this order presented itself
two events had an epoch-making influence on the as so awry since the Arab Spring? Is it possible to
Middle East. Nowadays, the regional order in the achieve a transition from turmoil to peace in the
Middle East has changed quite significantly, espe- Middle East? What role can China play for the re-
cially after the Arab Spring in 2011. The Syrian war construction of a stable and peaceful order in the
has entered its eighth year; the Palestinian-Israeli Middle East? Can the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
conflict has once again become a hot issue under provide a remedy to current problems in the Mid-
Trump’s pro-Israel “biased policy”; the Yemen crisis dle East? What are the driving forces, opportunities
still cannot see any hope for resolution; the sectar- and challenges for China to play a bigger role in the
ian conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia has be- Middle East? These are some of the questions that
come more intense; and the importance of regional this article will attempt to answer.
countries has grown. There is no doubt that even
though one hundred years have passed since World The Centuries-Old Evolution
War I, the Middle East is still trapped in the dilem- of the Middle East Order
ma of war and peace. The Ottoman Empire’s history stretches across 623
In retracing and exploring the transformation years, if it is considered that the Ottoman Dynasty
of the Middle East over the past 100 years, we are started in 1299 and the last Sultan was dethroned
Ya n g C h e n , C h i n a’s Po t e n t i al Ro l e i n t h e Re m a k ing o f R eg io na l O r der in the Midd le Ea s t: Motiv a tions , O p po r tunities a nd C ha l l e n g e s
in 1922. Alternatively, the Ottoman Empire has a history of 465 years, if the year of 1453 as the fall of Constantinople is counted as the beginning and the year 1918 as the year of the empire’s disintegration (Sanyi, 2018, p. 1Sanyi (2018). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). Whether it lasted 623 or 465 years, the Ottoman Empire achieved a so-called “Pax-Ottomanica” in the vast areas of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa. Just as Bernard Lewis argued, “the Ottomans had erected a political structure which endured and a political system which worked. They had also created a political culture which was well understood and in which each group and indeed each individual knew his position, his powers and limits and, most important, what was due from him and to him, to whom and from whom. The Ottoman system had fallen on bad times, but despite many difficulties, it was still functioning. It had lost the loyalty and acceptance of most of its Christian subjects, but it was still accepted as legitimate by most of the Muslim population. During its last decades, the Ottoman order was beginning to show signs of recovery and Anti-government demonstrations during the Tunisian
even of improvement. Any such development was, revolution, 23 January 2011.
however, diverted and terminated by the Ottoman
entry into the First World War and the resulting end of the Ottoman Empire, became the mandated
of the Empire — the collapse of the state and the territories of Britain and France. However, the
fragmentation of its territories.” (Lewis, 1995, p. 342Lewis (1995). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) Turkish War of Independence led by Mustafa Ke-
As a result of World War I, the German Empire, mal Ataturk interfered with the Allies’ intention to
the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman carve up the Ottoman Empire and made the Treaty
Empire collapsed following military defeat, while of Sevres abortive. At this time, the United States’
Tsarist Russia was conquered by the storm of the presence in this region cannot be compared to that
October Revolution. Britain and France continued of the European powers and the principal contra-
to rule the world as winners. During the Paris Con- diction in that era was that between the peoples of
ference in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles, the League West Asia and North Africa and British and French
of Nations, and other related predatory treaties were imperialism.
signed after fierce quarrels. Thus, the so-called new Over the following 20 years, Germany gradu-
order of the “Versailles System” was established by ally gained a foothold in Iran and Afghanistan, and
imperial countries in Europe after World War I. Italy’s influence expanded into Ethiopia and Yemen,
According to the Treaty of Sevres, the countries, gradually advancing toward the Fertile Crescent,
which were newly established after the dissolution the core areas of British and French influence.
However, World War II ended with another marks the history of the two competing powers in
victory for the Allies, and the fascist forces of Ger- the Middle East.
many and Italy were completely driven out of the After the collapse of the bipolar order, the Unit-
Middle East. Unfortunately, the Allies would later ed States was eager to extend its influence across the
continue to compete quietly in this region. This is entire Middle East in order to maximize its global
mainly manifested in three aspects. The first is the hegemony. It hoped to politically control the Middle
confrontation between Britain and France in Syria East and to achieve US-led stability so as to obtain
and Lebanon. The second is the competition over more realistic and long-term economic benefits. The
the Middle Eastern oil between Britain and the strategic goal of the United States was to establish a
United States. The third is the opposition between new order in the Middle East guided by the Amer-
Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union in ican model first and then to institute a new world
Iran, where the competition for Iran is due not only order dominated by the US. To this end, the under-
to political and economic, but also to ideological lying policy of the United States at that time was to
reasons. Unsurprisingly, some would therefore ar- “promote peace talks in the west, contain Iraq and
gue that, earlier than anywhere else in the world, the Iran in the east, and strengthen allies.”(Zhao, 2000,
Cold War began in Iran. The rivalry between Brit- p. 365) Meanwhile, the turbulent domestic political
ain, the United States, and the Soviet Union in Iran situation in Russia and the impending collapse of
unraveled as a prelude to the post-war global strug- the country’s economy have left Russia unable to
gle between the East and the West, and once again pay more attention to Middle East affairs. It is possi-
pushed Iran to the forefront of this global conflict. ble to say that the United States has assumed a dom-
After World War II, the United States and the inant position in the Middle East, so that it was able
Soviet Union began a cold war for global hegemo- to arbitrarily launch the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Therefore, a retrospective of the past 100 years ny, which resulted in a bipolar world order. In the of the Middle East shows that since the disintegraeyes of the United States, the Middle East was a tion of the Ottoman Empire, the people, nations and cornerstone in both military and economic terms countries in the Middle East have never become the to the survival of the United States, Europe and the masters of this region. Throughout the 20th century, North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Therefore, any it has always been the Westerners who have ruled. attempt by outside forces to control the Persian Gulf The old order collapsed, but a new order has never was regarded as a serious attack on the vital interests been established. of the United States. In the Soviet Union’s view, the Persian Gulf region was the main target and site for Disorder in the Middle East After a breakthrough in the Soviet Union’s endeavors to the Arab Spring achieve its South Strategy. It was also an important
strategic goal for the Soviet Union to flank Europe The Arab Spring was triggered by the “Jasmine
and contend with the United States. Therefore, both Revolution” in Tunisia. On December 17, 2010
the United States and the Soviet Union regarded Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old fruit vendor, set
the Middle East as an important strategic region for himself alight in order to protest unemployment. As
global hegemony. Competition has thus been fierce a high-school dropout who had to carry his family’s
for decades. The presence and competition of for- financial burden, Mohamed Bouazizi was unable to
eign forces in the Middle East after World War II find a job. As a street vendor, he was treated brutally
Ya n g C h e n , C h i n a’s Po t e n t i al Ro l e i n t h e Re m a k ing o f R eg io na l O r der in the Midd le Ea s t: Motiv a tions , O p po r tunities a nd C ha l l e n g e s
by the local police. Subsequently, the revolutionary tide swept the Middle East and North Africa, Tunisian Prime Minister Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had to step down, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh handed over power to his deputy, and Syria descended into civil war. Later, the formerly oppressed Islamic forces came into power, causing fierce political games in the region. When the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, won the elections on June 24, 2012, the “Arab
Spring” turned into the “Islamic Spring”. The con- Protesters marching to Sanaa University in Yemen,
1 March 2011. flict between Islamic forces and secular forces thus
became more and more intense. In Egypt, this led and Saudi Arabia have started to play a more active
to a military coup through which Mohamed Morsi role. This is a phenomenon not seen in the past 100
was overthrown. In this chaos, an extremist Islamic years, and the autonomy of regional countries has
group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant continued to increase. These countries began to
(ISIS) came into being, recruiting a large number of compete for regional dominance. Third, proxy wars
young people from all over the world, collecting a continue to ravage this region. For example, armed
large amount of money by selling oil, and occupy- forces supported by foreign powers continue to fight
ing a large part of land in northern Iraq and Syria. in Syria, Yemen, and Libya and there is no sign of
With Russia’s strong intervention in Syria, fighting an end to these conflicts. Fourth, extremist forces
ISIS became the main concern of the internation- such as ISIS have declined under the attack of ma-
al community. In the meantime, extremist Islamic jor powers, especially Russia. Fifth, Russia’s strong
forces have been weakened. Currently, with Turkey’s intervention in Syria through military means has
strong presence in northern Syria, new difficulties increased its legitimacy, not only because Russia
and challenges seem to have their share in shaping was invited by the Syrian government, but also be-
the future of the Middle East. cause Russia was able to defeat a common enemy of
After this round of uprisings and turmoil called the international community. Therefore, Russia was
the Arab Spring, the geopolitical order of the Mid- able to occupy a high moral ground. At the same
dle East has undergone significant changes, mainly time, Russia strengthened coordination with Tur-
resembled in the following characteristics: First, the key and Iran through the Astana process, thereby
ability and willingness of major powers, especially gaining a steady foothold in Syria. Sixth, a new wave
the United States, to control the Middle East have of nationalism is emerging in the Middle East. In
diminished. The aim of the US now is to intensify the context of political instability, economic de-
the confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, cline, and constant wars, the Middle East is facing
even expecting direct war between the two coun- a greater crisis.
tries. Second, after the weakening of the great pow- What are the underlying reasons for this se-
ers, regional powers such as Iran, Turkey, Israel, ries of changes in the Middle East? Professor Yang
Guang, the President of the Chinese Association China’s Expanded Presence
of Middle East Studies, commented that “peace” in the Middle East
and “development” are still the two main themes China’s Middle East diplomacy is an integral part of
in Middle Eastern politics and that none of them its overall diplomacy. For a long time, however, the
has been solved despite a 100 years of effort. This Middle East does not figure as important as the “big
is mainly due to the following: First, the long-term powers” and the “neighboring countries” in China’s persistence of socio-economic problems; second, diplomatic layout. In his talk Our Diplomatic Polithe large number of younger population of the Arab cies and Tasks on April 30, 1952, Premier Zhou Enregion; third, the economic and social problems of lai had made the comment that “with respect to the Middle Eastern countries are further exacerbated in countries in the Islamic world, we are less engaged in the era of globalization; fourth, the significant imthe relationships and have less influence. We should pact of information technologies on political movework to gradually change this.” (Selected Works of ments; fifth, Western countries have long advocated Zhou Enlai’s Diplomacy, 1990, p. 54fifth, Western countries have long advocated Zhou Enlai’s Diplomacy (1990). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) Yet in fact, since Western-style “democracy and freedom”, which are the Bandung Conference in 1955, China has succesnot compatible with the reality of Middle Eastern
countries. (Huang, 2016, pp. 227-238Huang (2016). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) sively established diplomatic relations in the vast re-
The Syrian war has entered its eighth year and gions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, especially
the civil war seems to continue despite Russia’s suc- with major countries in the Middle East. This un-
cess. So how can we evaluate the changes in the doubtedly broke the diplomatic isolation and greatly
Middle East since the Arab Spring? The only cri- enhanced China’s international prestige. Now, with
terion for judging whether social revolutions such the Belt and Road Initiative and China’s increasing
as the “Arab Spring” have promoted social progress interest in the Middle East, Middle Eastern affairs
or caused social decline is the following: Is there will have a greater impact on China. Middle Eastern
a relative improvement in the people’s standard of peoples and businesses have already started to grow
living after the “revolution” compared to the situa- a keen interest in China’s increasing global presence.
tion prior to the “revolution”. In Tunisia, it can be Although China is still unwilling to intervene in the
observed that the unemployment rates across the region, it has to respond to the current situation as
country currently are above 20% in 2018, there- its status rises and its interests expand.
by far exceeding the pre-revolutionary average. First, from the perspective of political interests,
(Wang, 2018Wang (2018). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) China has become more active in the region, and
Moreover, what can the Western countries its role has been increasingly valued by all parties
learn from this transformation? The Western inter- involved. The contribution of Eastern wisdom has
vention and the “color revolutions” they promoted been well received, which has also enhanced Chi-
did not allow these countries to reap the fruits of na’s influence. China’s position on issues such as the
“democratic transformation” and plunged the re- Palestinian issue, the Syrian crisis, the Yemen crisis,
gion into endless chaos. Under political turmoil, and the Libyan crisis, can be exchanged for regional
economies further deteriorated, and sectarian and countries’ positions on key issues such as Taiwan,
tribal conflicts became even more prominent. The the One-China policy, and the South China Sea. In
whole world has been affected by a global refugee addition, as one of the permanent members of the
crisis and terrorist attacks. United Nations Security Council, China’s position
Ya n g C h e n , C h i n a’s Po t e n t i al Ro l e i n t h e Re m a k ing o f R eg io na l O r der in the Midd le Ea s t: Motiv a tions , O p po r tunities a nd C ha l l e n g e s
on many international issues can win greater sup- situation in the Middle East will not only directly
port and respect through its constructive role in re- harm China’s national interests. In September 2019,
gional affairs. the drone attacks on Saudi oil fields also sounded an
Secondly, in terms of strategic interests, the alarm regarding China’s energy security.
“Western Front”, which concerns the Middle East- In addition, the bilateral trade volume between
ern countries, can serve as a strategic backing for China and the Middle Eastern countries is rising.
China, allowing it to contain Western expansion- At the beginning of 2016, it was close to US $300
ism and calmly meet challenges from the sea on the billion, making China the largest trade partner of
many Middle Eastern countries. The bilateral trade
"Domestic academia in China had volume is likely to increase to US $600 billion over
extensively discussed the “westward the next 10 years. (Gao, 2015, p. 14Gao (2015). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) This shows that
strategy” before the Belt and Road there is great potential for cooperation between Initiative was put forward. At that
time, this strategy was conceived of China and Middle Eastern countries. Specifically:
as a hedge against the “Asia Pacific 1) The consumption potential of Middle East-
Rebalancing Strategy” of the United ern economies is huge because young people dom-
States." inate the regional demographic structure. Regional
infrastructure construction is developing rapidly, “Eastern Front”. Domestic academia in China had and expanding markets need stable capital inflow extensively discussed the “westward strategy” befor continuous output. China’s banks and enterfore the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward. At prises have large capital reserves and possess many that time, this strategy was conceived of as a hedge business contacts in Turkey, Iran and Gulf Cooperagainst the “Asia Pacific Rebalancing Strategy” of ation Council (GCC) countries. Continuous capital the United States. However, under the Belt and Road flow will bring considerable financial benefits. Initiative, China is now engaged in strengthening its 2) Strong Chinese military enterprises will interactions with Middle Eastern countries, which greatly contribute to arms sales to the benefit of rewill be an important way to further strengthen Chigional stability. na’s Western Front as an extension of China’s open-
ing up to the outside world, a further acceleration 3) The development and utilization of fossil
of Eurasian linkages, and an effort towards further energy (oil, natural gas) and new energy (solar en-
strengthening globalization. ergy, nuclear energy) will help China’s advanced en-
Third, in terms of economic benefits, the Mid- ergy technology to be employed for new uses. The
dle East is the world’s largest region for energy ex- intended cooperation with Egypt, Iran and Turkey
ports and the main source of China’s energy imports. will blow the horn of China’s energy technology to
Today, oil from the Middle East accounts for more the world.
than 50% of China’s imported oil. The Middle East is 4) In terms of security interests, the situation
increasingly important for China’s energy needs. At in the Middle East is complex in the sense that the
the same time, the development of energy transport region faces both traditional and non-traditional se-
routes from the Middle East to China will have a curity threats. Especially in recent years, extremist
significant impact on China’s oil import and energy forces and terrorists have taken advantage of con-
security.(Gao, 2014, p. 45Gao (2014). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) The deterioration of the tinued regional instability, extremist ideologies and
terrorist activities. This can easily cause damage to tries such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen are still suffering
China’s overseas interests, to people’s lives and prop- from frequent crises and wars. So far, their econo-
erties, and to the security of Western China. It great- my still performs badly, and it is difficult to find a
ly increases risks associated with China’s endeavors way out of the crisis. There is also another group of
to promote the construction of the “Belt and Road” countries, which are in a period of transition (e.g.
in the Middle East. Egypt and Tunisia). Politically, these countries have
With respect to securing China’s interests in achieved relative stability, but they are still trapped
the Middle East, there are two kinds of approaches in serious economic difficulties and cannot find any
to the region in China: the “soft defense” position solution to get out of the crisis by themselves. The
and the “hard defense” position. “Soft defense” is third group of countries is composed of GCC coun-
based on “demilitarization” and seeks to maintain tries, for example Saudi Arabia and Qatar, whose
good relations with the countries of the region and stability is challenged due to the adverse effects of
to maintain legitimate rights and interests; the “hard the Yemen crisis and oil price fluctuations, although
defense” approach emphasizes the strengthening they are relatively stable as a whole. In this cycle of
of military forces in the Middle East in defense of transformation in the Middle East, China has al-
national interests. Whether China’s presence in the ways adhered to the solution of political dialogue
Middle East will take the path of “soft defense” or and “development for stability”. Although it was not
“hard defense”, eminent questions for the future are: fully recognized by Middle Eastern countries from
if and how one can adhere to the “non-interference the very beginning, the eight years since the Arab
policy” in the new situation; and if it is ever possi- Spring have proved China’s proposition right.
ble to participate in Middle Eastern affairs by way of Second, China’s development road is being in-
“creative” or “constructive” intervention. creasingly respected by Middle Eastern countries.
In the course of 70 years of development, China has
China’s Role in the Reconstruction of always adhered to the principle of “gradual reform”
Order in the Middle East and maintained a basic level of social stability. In
The current regional situation is still increasingly economic terms, China has carried out a reform of
dynamic. Middle Eastern countries seem to be tran- the economic system at home, consolidated the re-
sitioning “from chaos to order”. However, there is lationship between the government and the market,
still uncertainty given that great powers and regional reduced the government’s excessive intervention in
forces have also been adjusting their strategic pol- the economy, promoted the healthy functioning of
icies to the ever-changing situation since the Arab the private economy, and strengthened the devel-
Spring. Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative in the opment of its infrastructure and human resourc-
Middle East is therefore a challenge for China, but es, thus laying the foundation for steady economic
it simultaneously comes with a lot of opportunities. development (Guang, 2019Guang (2019). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) Moreover, China will
First, China’s foreign policy towards the Middle continue to increase the depth and breadth of its
East is being increasingly recognized by the region. opening to the outside, constantly attract foreign
Since the Arab Spring, however, the domestic situ- investment, and strengthen trade dependence with
ation in these countries has varied greatly. Coun- other countries in the world. Interestingly, a com-
Ya n g C h e n , C h i n a’s Po t e n t i al Ro l e i n t h e Re m a k ing o f R eg io na l O r der in the Midd le Ea s t: Motiv a tions , O p po r tunities a nd C ha l l e n g e s
parison of the development paths taken by China always adhered to the policy of non-alignment and
and Turkey shows that both countries share simi- non-interference in internal affairs and has main-
lar experiences in terms of political and economic tained good relations with Palestine and the Arab
development, which can also provide useful lessons world. Therefore, China is not led by selfishness or
for cooperation between China and other Middle self-interest in promoting the settlement of difficult
Eastern countries. challenges in the Middle East, and its position is ac-
Third, China’s Belt and Road Initiative is being ceptable to all parties involved. Second, the stability
increasingly accepted by Middle Eastern countries. of China’s policy is to be acknowledged. Although
Since the day the Belt and Road Initiative was put there may be short-term fluctuations in the relation-
forward, many countries and forces in the West have ships between China and the Middle East, a simple
attempted to defame this initiative through various change of government will not lead to dramatic
arguments, including the “geo-expansion theory”, changes in basic diplomatic principles, and China
the “economic predatory theory”, “neo-imperial- can be trusted by Middle Eastern countries, which is
ism” and the “environmental destruction theory”. in sharp contrast to Western countries. Third, inter-
In particular, the negative reports of the US think ference by great powers, especially US intervention,
tanks can easily increase the doubts of Middle East- constitutes the root of many problems in the Middle
ern countries, especially the Gulf States, concerning East. China however does not intend to replace the
the Belt and Road Initiative. However, the great role United States, but seeks to carry out balanced and
of Middle Eastern countries in the initiative must neutral interactions between all parties concerned
be rooted in the profound understanding of the ini- and wants to play a greater constructive role.
tiative itself. Recently, the opening of the Sino-Euro
train between China and Turkey has played a great- Opportunities, Challenges and Limits
er exemplary role in promoting the Belt and Road of the BRI in the Middle East
Initiative in the Middle East. In 2017, Xi Jinping’s report at the 19th CPC Nation-
China’s diplomacy in the Middle East has al Congress included the development and imple-
achieved a lot of things, but this is rarely acknowl- mentation of the “Belt and Road Initiative” as an
edged. Therefore, China has been criticized for not important part of China’s overall layout of economic
having a great impact on the settlement of issues in development and all-round diplomacy. In addition,
the Middle East. Compared with the United States, the 19th Congress passed a resolution regarding
Europe, Russia and other large countries or regions the constitution of the Communist Party of China
with deeply intertwined historical trajectories and (Amendment), including the development of the
extensively interlinked interests, China’s diplomatic Belt and Road Initiative into the party constitution.
resources in the Middle East are still limited (Ding, This means that the Belt and Road Initiative will be-
2016, p. 154). This being said, in recent years Chi- come a long-term policy, which fully demonstrates
na has done a lot of work to solve the Middle East’s that under the leadership of the Communist Party
current problems, while the principles embodied by of China, China attaches great importance to the
China are increasingly being accepted. First, the fair- development of the Belt and Road Initiative and
ness of China’s position is coming to light. China has firmly promotes international cooperation.
There are 65 countries along the “Silk Road As a matter of fact, the “westward strategy” has
Economic Belt” and the “Maritime Silk Road Eco- long been carried out by China. Prof. Fei Xiaotong, a
nomic Belt” in the Belt and Road Initiative, of which prominent political scientist, has put forward a mac-
31 countries are Muslim countries. Eighteen of ro model of China’s development, taking Shanghai
these are Middle Eastern countries, thus approach- as the leader, Jiangsu and Zhejiang as the two wings,
ing 1/3 overall. Of course, the initiative has current- the Yangtze River as the backbone, the Southern
ly expanded into Africa, Europe and Latin America. Silk Road and the Eurasian land bridge going out of
More importantly however, these Middle Eastern Yangguan in the West as the tail. He also put forward
countries serve as a bridge to link China to Europe the idea of “two markets, hit with both hands”, which
and have an important influence for the smooth means paying equal attention to the domestic mar-
progress of the Belt and Road Initiative. ket and the international market. The idea here is to
The “Belt and Road Initiative” faced severe address China’s unbalanced development between
Western criticism. Yet in fact, this initiative is not the East and the West, especially the remaining gap
modeled on the post-World War II Marshall Plan as after the policy of opening up. In contrast to “West-
a Chinese conspiracy. The initiative is not a geopo- ern development”, which has always been an official
litical tool, but it is intended to serve as a practical policy of China, due to the vagueness of its motiva-
cooperation platform. It is not a foreign aid plan, but tions, goals, paths and means, the “westward strate-
a joint development initiative in order for countries gy” has not become a national policy, i.e. it has not
to jointly build and share prosperity. Finally, the in-
itiative is not to replace the existing mechanisms for "At present, no country, not even the
regional cooperation but to promote the coordina- United States, can control the Middle
tion of development strategies among various coun- East."
tries and to achieve complementary advantages.
Besides, there are important internal reasons been upgraded to the status of a national diplomatic
for its initiative. Since 2010, the United States has strategy yet. Moreover, it is to be noted here: Xin-
been implemented the strategy of “Asia Pacific jiang’s stability and development are not only related
Rebalancing Strategy” (or “Returning to the Asia to China's territorial and energy security, but also
Pacific Strategy”), which aims to confront China ensure the smooth progress of the three economic
directly. By enhancing its military and diplomatic corridors of China-Pakistan, China-Central Asia-
presence in the Asia Pacific region, the US seeks to West Asia and the new Eurasian Continental Bridge.
dilute and inhibit China’s growing strength, contain In terms of the geopolitical order of the Middle
its strategic development as much as possible, and East, the world’s big powers still play an important
curb its rise. Hence, a group of experts on inter- role in shaping the region, even though the desire
national issues represented by Wang Jisi proposed and ability of Western powers to intervene is signif-
that China, located in the center of the Asia-Pacific icantly reduced as compared to the past. At present,
region, should not confine its vision to coastal are- no country, not even the United States, can control
as, traditional competitors and partners, but should the Middle East. For 100 years since World War
consider the strategic plan of moving westward to I, regional countries have not been able to decide
promote the rebalancing of China’s geo-strategy. their fate independently, but now they have joined
Ya n g C h e n , C h i n a’s Po t e n t i al Ro l e i n t h e Re m a k ing o f R eg io na l O r der in the Midd le Ea s t: Motiv a tions , O pp or tunities a nd C hal l e n g e s
as players on the Grand Chessboard. Two opinions then no one can solve these issues. Therefore, Chi-
are being voiced now. One is that the influence of na’s support has to base itself on the premise of mu-
the United States is declining, the other that it is tual interest and acceptance by these countries. On
gaining strength. Objectively speaking however, the this basis, China will support any useful proposals
United States still plays a leading role, and it is still and suggestions. China will offer its support in the
the most important factor affecting developments in absence of objecting voices in the region.
the Middle East (Zhang, 2013, p. 45Zhang (2013). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.). Today, the Middle Eastern countries, the Eu-
Two recent events help to illustrate the present ropean Union, and other countries increasingly
situation. First, in 2018, the United States announced have come to realize that China’s position is cor-
that it would move its embassy to Jerusalem, caus- rect, which further strengthens China’s position in
ing a great uproar. However, while the Israelis were the Middle East. Simultaneously, the improvement
grateful to the United States, the Arab League led by of its international standing will lead China to face
Saudi Arabia did not actually condemn it loudly, but even more challenges. The promotion of the Belt
acquiesced to the situation. Second, on May 8, 2018, and Road Initiative could be met with controversy,
the United States announced its withdrawal from misunderstanding, slander and even condemnation
the Iran nuclear agreement, which also brought in international public opinion. This is a necessary
great pressure to bear on both the European Union stage for China on its way to becoming a great pow-
and China. The current US strategy is not only to er, a stage the country must put up with. However,
put pressure the Iranian government, but also to China is required to act. There is urgent need for
crack down on all companies cooperating with Iran, China to reinforce its presence in the Middle East
which shows that the US still has a strong influence. in order to enhance its “soft power” and to demon-
strate its “hard power”. The Middle East is an im-
Conclusion portant site on the strategic roadmap of the Belt and
At present, there are voices in the world calling on Road Initiative. Achieving regional stability is in
China to rise to the occasion, proceeding from the line with China’s overseas strategic interests. With-
observation that the United States has failed out getting on the train, however, China will not
to solve the Middle Eastern problem. Can China learn how to drive. It is through participation in the
use its wisdom to contribute and propose its own practical process of addressing these problems that
plan? If in fact, the United States cannot solve the China can accumulate greater experience in manag-
region’s problems, then how can China solve them? ing international conflicts and improve its ability to
Moreover, countries concerning themselves with deal with complicated international disputes.
the solution of the Middle East’s problems need to Acknowledgement: This article is supported by
show political determination, wait for the right con- funding from the “Shanghai Philosophy and Social
ditions, and act with the support of the internation- Science Planning Youth Project” (2017EGJ004),
al community. In their attempt to solve the region’s “Key Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences of
problems, foreign countries cannot act on behalf of Ministry of Education of China” (17JZD036) and
the region’s countries. If the Middle Eastern coun- “Key Project of the National Social Science Fund of
tries cannot unite and agree upon a unified position, China” (18ZDA170).
Last 2000 Years, New York: Scribner. References Sanyi, W. (2018). The Fall of Empire: Six Issues of Ottoman Ding, G. (2016). New Features of the Current situation in Empire History. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press the Middle East and China’s Strategic Response. (China). Contemporary World and Socialism, 2. Selected Works of Zhou Enlai’s Diplomacy. (1990). Beijing: Gao, Z. (2014). The Development of China’s Relations with
the Middle East in the Context of Great Changes. Peace Central Party Literature Press.
and Development, 1. Wang, P. (2018) “What should We Reflect When We
Gao, Z. (2015). New Changes of Middle East Look Back at the Arab Spring,” Guangming Daily,
Transformation and New Developments in China- January 22, 2018. Retrieved from http://orig.cssn.cn/zm/
Middle East Relationship. Peace and Development, 1. zm_hwsc/201801/t20180122_3824162.shtml
Guang, Y. (2019). Quotation from a remark in “The 5th Zhang, H. China’s Policy towards the Middle East has not
Symposium of Sino-Turkish Relations: The Strategic changed, but its strength is strengthening an interview
Relationship between China and Turkey from a Global with An Huihou who talks about the visit of Palestinian
Perspective” on October 23rd, 2019 held in Beijing. and Israeli leaders to China and the issue of Palestine
Huang, M. (2016) On the Background, Development Stage Israel. World Affairs, 11.
and Main Characteristics of the Upheaval in the Middle Zhao, G. (ed.). (2000). Concise Encyclopedia of West Asia
East. Collected Papers of History Studies, 3. and North Africa (Middle East), Beijing: China Social
Lewis, B. (1995). The Middle East: A Brief History of The Sciences Press.
