China’s Risky Middle East Bet
Beijing believes it can focus on economic development and avoid any role in political affairs—but that assumption will likely prove naive.
Updated at 10:14 a.m. ET on April 29, 2019.
China is making a risky bet in the Middle East. By focusing on economic development and adhering to the principle of noninterference in internal affairs, Beijing believes it can deepen relations with countries that are otherwise nearly at war with one another—all the while avoiding any significant role in the political affairs of the region. This is likely to prove naive, particularly if U.S. allies begin to stand up for their interests.
In meetings I attended earlier this month in Beijing on China’s position in the Middle East, sponsored by the Chinese officials, academics, and business leaders expressed a common view that China can avoid political
