A New Graduate Course: China and the Middle East Winter 2017-18 Shanghai University

China and the Middle East 
Winter 2017-18
Thursday 13:00 – 16:30
Tugrul Keskin PhD, Associate Professor
College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University
Email: tugrulkeskin(at)t.shu.edu.cn  

Between 1949 and the late 1970s, interactions between China (PRC) and Middle Eastern countries were limited. After China started to implement economic reforms in 1978, however, the country opened up to the global economy in general and the Middle East in particular. Since the 1980s, the new Chinese economic dynamic, as a result of its economic reforms, has significantly increased China’s footprint in the region. China’s distinct approach has been to secure access to natural resources and new markets while, at the same time, making sure not to get bogged down in the Middle East’s political conflicts. However, as we will examine in this class, China’s role has by now become so prominent that it will be increasingly difficult for China to maintain its low-profile role. By analyzing the development of China’s role in the region generally as well as its specific relations to Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Israel, we conclude that China is likely to become a more active player in the region.