China’s Political Entanglements in the Middle East: Escaping Inevitability?

Beyond significantly enhancing its economic footprint, China has forged comprehensive strategic partnerships with key Middle Eastern states including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Egypt. China hopes that its economic clout and efforts to be the region’s technological juggernaut as part of its Belt and Road Initiative and Digital Silk Road will shield it from being consumed by the myriad of conflicts in the Middle East. However, whether this is sufficient to protect from China’s mushrooming interests in the region at a time of strategic rivalry with the United States- which is seeking to reconfigure its commitments in the Middle East- is yet to be known. The Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore hosted a panel of experts to explore China’s options.