Jin Liangxiang

China's Middle East policy is undergoing a major shift. Traditionally, Beijing considered the region too distant for significant investment and instead limited its efforts to convincing Arab capitals to sever their ties to Taiwan and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic.[1] Beijing's first diplomatic victory in the Arab world was the formal establishment of relations with Egypt in 1956. The Chinese Foreign Ministry completed its mission of establishing ties to each Arab country when China and Saudi Arabia exchanged ambassadors in 1990. With China's economic boom, though, Beijing's Middle East policy has taken on new importance. While Washington's Middle East policy has traditionally been activist, Beijing's policy was more restrained. But Chinese passivity in the region may end in coming years, as the Chinese government's need to achieve energy security forces a more active policy.

Middle East Forum (Estados Unidos)

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