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China’s Middle East Approach Probably Won’t Change Soon: Expert

by Cobus van Staden
China's President Xi Jinping is received by the Governor of Riyadh province Prince Faisal bin Bandar al-Saud at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh during an official state visit in December 2022. AFP | SPA

Following President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia late last year, many speculated that China was aiming to replace the U.S. in the region, not least because U.S.-Saudi relations are currently quite frosty.

However, the China-Middle East expert Andrea Ghiselli recently published a fascinating article arguing that there is actually little incentive for either side to rethink their Middle East policies.

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