The Pitfalls to China's Mideast Policy

The Diplomat published on 25 June 2014 a brief analysis titled "The Pitfalls to China's Mideast Policy" by Jeffrey Payne, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington.  China's growing interests, especially the need for energy, in the region and lack of experience there are posing new challenges for Chinese foreign policy. 

China's situation in the Middle East sounds increasingly like its position about five years ago in Africa where it also began to learn some hard lessons concerning the impact of conflict on its interests.  China has more experience in Africa than in the Middle East.