Table Of Content’
China s Economic and Political Presence in
the Middle East and South Asia
This book explores a range of key issues connected to China’s relations with
countries in the Middle East and South Asia. It discusses economic and political
connections, and projects that have arisen as part of China’s Belt and Road
Initiative. It covers both important countries in the Middle East, and also
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It examines current contentious
issues including Iranian sanctions and the war in Syria, and assesses the roles
of other powers such as Russia, Turkey and Israel insofar as they affect
China’s relationships. Overall, the book presents many new perspectives on
the subject, with most representing the view from the countries of the Middle
East and South Asia.
Mehran Haghirian is a PhD Candidate at the Gulf Studies Program in Qatar
University and Director of Regional Initiatives at the Bourse & Bazaar
Foundation.
Luciano Zaccara is a Research Associate Professor at the Gulf Studies Center
in Qatar University.
Durham Modern Middle East and Islamic World Series
Series Editor: Anoushiravan Ehteshami, University of Durham
Russia’s Middle East Policy
From Lenin to Putin
By Alexey Vasiliev
Iran’s Foreign Policy in the South Caucasus
Relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia
By Marzieh Kouhi-Esfahani
How China’s Rise is Changing the Middle East
By Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Niv Horesh
Iran’s Regional Relations
A History from Antiquity to the Islamic Republic
Seyed Mohammad Houshisadat
Limited Statehood and Informal Governance in the Middle East and Africa
Edited by Ruth Hanau Santini, Abel Polese and Rob Kevlihan
Constituting the Political Economy of the Kurds
Social Embeddedness, Hegemony, and Identity
Omer Tekdemir
Reimagining Arab Political Identity
Justice, Women’s Rights, and the Arab State
Salam Hawa
China’s Economic and Political Presence in the Middle East and South Asia
Edited by Mehran Haghirian and Luciano Zaccara
For a full list of available titles please visit: https://www.routledge.com/Durham
Modern-Middle-East-and-Islamic-World-Series/book-series/SE0526
’
China s Economic and Political
Presence in the Middle East and
South Asia
Edited by
Mehran Haghirian and Luciano Zaccara
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Mehran Haghirian and Luciano
Zaccara; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Mehran Haghirian and Luciano Zaccara to be identified as the
author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual
chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-032-21604-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-21607-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-26917-5 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003269175
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Taylor & Francis Books
Contents
List of illustrations vii
List of contributors ix
1 Introduction 1
LUCIANO ZACCARA AND MEHRAN HAGHIRIAN
2 China in the Middle East and North Africa: An Empirical
Inquiry on China’s Expansion towards the West 5
AMIN MOHSENI-CHERAGHLOU AND HAMED VAFAEI
3 The Sino–Iranian Relationship: A Role Theory Approach to a
Non-Western Great Power-Middle Power Partnership 35
JACOPO SCITA
4 Iran’s ‘Eastward Turn’ in a Turning World: Reassessing Sanctions
as a Driver of China-Iran Trade 57
ESFANDYAR BATMANGHELIDJ
5 China’s Foreign Policy in the Middle East and the Position of the
GCC States 74
VORACHAI ISRASENA-PICHITKANJANAKUL
6 Strategic Transformations of China’s Relations with GCC States:
From a Unidimensional Relationship to a Multilayered
Partnership 98
ÜMIT ALPEREN
7 The Emerging Security Role of Turkey and China in the Middle
East: Avoiding a Possible Clash in the Future 120
ALI BAKIR
vi Contents
8 China’s Role in Post-War Syria: Does it Strengthen or Undermine
the Sino–Russian Cooperation? 145
LUKACS KRAJCSIR
9 The Israel Factor in the Dynamic Relations between China and
the Islamic World 168
ZHIQUN ZHU
10 China’s Security Cooperation with Bangladesh and Pakistan in
the Context of ‘Belt and Road Initiative’: Implications for Indian
Ocean Geopolitics 188
NOOR MOHAMMAD SARKER
11 China’s Changing Posture towards Afghanistan: A New Classical
Realist Explanation 216
SEHAR SABIR
Index 238
Illustrations
Figures
2.1 Chinese Oil Imports from Top 15 Country, 2018 (%) 7
2.2 Bilateral Trade between China and the U.S. with Individual
MENA Economies, 2018 (Billions USD) 8
2.3 MENA Trade Flows with China and the U.S., 1992–2018
(Billions USD) 9
2.4 Chinese Investment by Region and Different Periods of Time
(Millions USD) 14
2.5 Chinese Investment Around the Globe, 2005-2018 (Millions
USD) 15
2.6 Growth Rate of Chinese Investment (%) 15
2.7 Chinese Investment in the MENA Countries between 2005–
2018 (Millions USD) 17
2.8 Share of Chinese Investment in Each Sector between 2005–
2018 (% Total 2005–2018) 18
2.9 China’s GDP Growth Rate, 1983–2019 (%) 18
2.10 Chinese Investment in MENA by Sector between 2005–2018
(%) 19
2.11 Share of Top Three Sectors in Chinese MENA Investments,
2005–2018 (%) 20
2.12 Number of MENA Countries with Chinese Investment in the
Sector 21
2.13 BRI Related Investment around the World, 2005–2018
(Millions USD) 22
10.1 China–Bangladesh and China–Pakistan Win-Win Strategic
Cooperation in the Indian Ocean, with a Focus on BRI 200
viii List of illustrations
Tables
2.1 Chinese Investment by Region and Year, 2005–2018 (Millions
USD) 29
2.2 Chinese Investment in the MENA Countries, 2005–2018
(Millions USD) 30
2.3 Chinese Investment by Region and Sector (Millions USD) 31
2.4 Chinese Investment in the Energy Sector by Region and Year,
2005–2018 (Millions USD) 32
2.5 Chinese Investments in MENA Countries Between 2005–2018
by Country and Sector (Millions USD) 33
2.6 T-test Comparison between BRI-Related vs. Non-BRI Related
Investments, 2014–2018 34
2.7 T-test Comparison between BRI-Related vs. Non-BRI Related
Investments, 2014–2018 34
2.8 Regional Distribution of the Number of Non-BRI and BRI
related Investments, 2014–2018 34
4.1 Chinese trade with Iran under sanctions (USD thousands) 59
4.2 Proportion of SITC7 exports to sum of three partners (China,
USA, EU28) 61
4.3 Ratio of Chinese to EU28 SITC7 exports 63
Contributors
Ali Bakir is a Research Assistant Professor at the Ibn Khaldon Center for
Humanities and Social Sciences in Qatar University, Qatar.
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj is the Founder and CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar
Foundation, United Kingdom.
Mehran Haghirian is a PhD Candidate at the Gulf Studies Program in Qatar
University, Qatar, and Director of Regional Initiatives at the Bourse &
Bazaar Foundation, United Kingdom. Previously, he was a researcher in
and Assistant Director at the Ibn Khaldon Center for Humanities and
Social Sciences in Qatar University.
Lukács Krajcsír is a Research Fellow at Historical Archives of the Hungarian
State Security, Hungary.
Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou is an Assistant Professor at American University,
Washington, D.C.
Vorachai Israsena-Pichitkanjanakul is a PhD Student at the Gulf Studies
Program in Qatar University, Qatar.
Sehar Sabir is an Assistant Professor at the Department of International Rela
tions in the Islamia University of Bahawalpur Pakistan.
Noor Mohammad Sarker is a Research Fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Law
and International Affairs, Bangladesh.
Jacopo Scita is H.H. Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Doctoral Fellow
at the School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA) in Durham
University, United Kingdom.
Hamed Vafaei is an Assistant Professor of Chinese Language and Literature
at the University of Tehran, Iran.
Luciano Zaccara is a Research Associate Professor at the Gulf Studies Center
in Qatar University, Qatar.
