ometimes a very apparent thing remains unnoticed because of sense of ignorance about that. This happens when our mind remains occupied with something conventional. ‘China in the Middle East’ is something like that ignored part which one gets rare attention because of our over emphasising the topic of ‘US in the Middle East’. But China’s activities are not less important and at the same time not less fascinating than that of the US in Middle East. China’s policy towards Middle East shifted frequently since its birth in 1949. Initially the relationships were judged against China’s steady stand with the ideology of communism. Till 1955 it had no diplomatic relationship with any Middle Eastern state except Israel. But now in the year of 2011 it has more important friends than Israel. Now let’s see how things had evolved and have been evolving between China and Middle East in recent times.
Only after 1956 the relationship started to develop between China and its Middle Eastern counterparts. In that period China found Middle Eastern states anti-imperialist in character because of their position against capitalist-imperialist US, Britain and Israel. China stood firmly by the side of Egypt during the Suez crisis; it also supported Algeria’s anti colonial movements against France and finally condemned US’s attack on Libya. During that period China established diplomatic ties with a number of Middle Eastern countries including- Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, etc.
During the 60s the relationship with those countries were influenced by its relationship with USSR (present Russia). To break the hegemony of USSR it tried to strengthen and establish new diplomatic relationship with more counties.
In 1979 with the emergence of Den Xiaoping in the post Mao era a great shift took place in China’s foreign policy. China softened its ideological stance and started to compromise its ideology for the sake of national modernisation process. That was the first great shift in Chinese foreign policy since its emergence in 1949. China moved fast ahead in a variety of fields, building economic, trade, cultural, scientific, technological and military ties. By 1990, China’s export to the Middle East reached $1.5 billion and more than 50,000 Chinese workers were employed in the region. Chinese arms also found major buyers including Egypt, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
In the post cold war era with the changes in global scenario the role of China also changed in the Middle East. Since then in absence of the Soviet Union China found the US as the only contender. With this contender sometimes it cooperated and sometimes confronted. But all Chinese policies were driven by China’s basic requirements- need for energy to keep the momentum of development growth. China successfully and smartly utilised the tension between the western world and Iran. While the US and EU were at loggerheads with Iran on nuclear issue China’s state owned company Sinopac was busy making a deal of $100 billion for thirty years with Iranian petroleum corporation. This happened when Mr. Bush took office for the second time in the year of 2004. After the oil deal was signed Li Zhaoxing, the then Chinese foreign minister, announced that China would refuse to refer the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme to the Security Council. Li’s announcement signified that decades of Sino-Iranian cooperation was bearing fruits for both parties: China would get the oil and gas its economy desperately needs while Iran would finally win the political support of a reliable and weighty friend. There are number of examples on how China utilised the chances of strained relationship between the West and the Middle East and simultaneously Middle East utilised friendship with China as a measure of counterbalance against the West. Now, already there is a triangle in Middle Eastern politics where the US, the Middle East and China are positioned at three points.
What has been China’s response to the recent popular upsurge in Middle Eastern countries? Before entering into this argument I want to attract readers’ attention to one point. One of the major tensions between the US and China exists on the issue of democracy. China is very much sceptic about US activities in its (China) neighbouring countries. China doubts that the US might try to encircle China with democracy. “If the Chinese government perceives that Washington is serious about making democratisation the centrepiece of US Middle East policy, Beijing will resist it even more intensely, seeing such a policy as an implicit challenge to the Chinese Communist Party’s legitimacy at home.”
Since the ‘tsunami’ in the Middle East, China has been very careful regarding its internal issues. President Hu Jintao issued orders to party officials to “solve prominent problems which might harm the harmony and stability of society”. China has experiences of 1989 Tienman Square, recently in Tibet, in Xinjiang in 2010. These incidents coupled with thousands of other protests that have become the hallmark of contemporary China, brought into question the concept of ‘harmonious development’. Another important thing is that China has the best technology or know-how to control cyber media and electronic media in the world. This is the single most important reason why most of the protests couldn’t get success in China.
China didn’t respond as outspokenly for Libyan issue as it did during the Iranian nuclear issue. There was no strong condemnation from China. Rather China was, probably, the first oil importer from the rebel controlled Benghazi. That’s why it can be said that for the last three or four decades China’s policy towards Middle East has been a clear manifestation of a pragmatic approach. It is something of a fusion of communism and realism.
Only after 1956 the relationship started to develop between China and its Middle Eastern counterparts. In that period China found Middle Eastern states anti-imperialist in character because of their position against capitalist-imperialist US, Britain and Israel. China stood firmly by the side of Egypt during the Suez crisis; it also supported Algeria’s anti colonial movements against France and finally condemned US’s attack on Libya. During that period China established diplomatic ties with a number of Middle Eastern countries including- Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, etc.
During the 60s the relationship with those countries were influenced by its relationship with USSR (present Russia). To break the hegemony of USSR it tried to strengthen and establish new diplomatic relationship with more counties.
In 1979 with the emergence of Den Xiaoping in the post Mao era a great shift took place in China’s foreign policy. China softened its ideological stance and started to compromise its ideology for the sake of national modernisation process. That was the first great shift in Chinese foreign policy since its emergence in 1949. China moved fast ahead in a variety of fields, building economic, trade, cultural, scientific, technological and military ties. By 1990, China’s export to the Middle East reached $1.5 billion and more than 50,000 Chinese workers were employed in the region. Chinese arms also found major buyers including Egypt, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
In the post cold war era with the changes in global scenario the role of China also changed in the Middle East. Since then in absence of the Soviet Union China found the US as the only contender. With this contender sometimes it cooperated and sometimes confronted. But all Chinese policies were driven by China’s basic requirements- need for energy to keep the momentum of development growth. China successfully and smartly utilised the tension between the western world and Iran. While the US and EU were at loggerheads with Iran on nuclear issue China’s state owned company Sinopac was busy making a deal of $100 billion for thirty years with Iranian petroleum corporation. This happened when Mr. Bush took office for the second time in the year of 2004. After the oil deal was signed Li Zhaoxing, the then Chinese foreign minister, announced that China would refuse to refer the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme to the Security Council. Li’s announcement signified that decades of Sino-Iranian cooperation was bearing fruits for both parties: China would get the oil and gas its economy desperately needs while Iran would finally win the political support of a reliable and weighty friend. There are number of examples on how China utilised the chances of strained relationship between the West and the Middle East and simultaneously Middle East utilised friendship with China as a measure of counterbalance against the West. Now, already there is a triangle in Middle Eastern politics where the US, the Middle East and China are positioned at three points.
What has been China’s response to the recent popular upsurge in Middle Eastern countries? Before entering into this argument I want to attract readers’ attention to one point. One of the major tensions between the US and China exists on the issue of democracy. China is very much sceptic about US activities in its (China) neighbouring countries. China doubts that the US might try to encircle China with democracy. “If the Chinese government perceives that Washington is serious about making democratisation the centrepiece of US Middle East policy, Beijing will resist it even more intensely, seeing such a policy as an implicit challenge to the Chinese Communist Party’s legitimacy at home.”
Since the ‘tsunami’ in the Middle East, China has been very careful regarding its internal issues. President Hu Jintao issued orders to party officials to “solve prominent problems which might harm the harmony and stability of society”. China has experiences of 1989 Tienman Square, recently in Tibet, in Xinjiang in 2010. These incidents coupled with thousands of other protests that have become the hallmark of contemporary China, brought into question the concept of ‘harmonious development’. Another important thing is that China has the best technology or know-how to control cyber media and electronic media in the world. This is the single most important reason why most of the protests couldn’t get success in China.
China didn’t respond as outspokenly for Libyan issue as it did during the Iranian nuclear issue. There was no strong condemnation from China. Rather China was, probably, the first oil importer from the rebel controlled Benghazi. That’s why it can be said that for the last three or four decades China’s policy towards Middle East has been a clear manifestation of a pragmatic approach. It is something of a fusion of communism and realism.
THis article was published in the Daily Sun on 20th July 2011.
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