Building the Belt and Road Initiative in the Arab World: China's Middle East Math

This book analyses the expansion of Chinese power and influence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects undertaken in the “1+ 2+ 3 cooperation pattern.” Under this framework, 1 represents energy, 2 represents infrastructure and trade and investment, and 3 represents nuclear energy, space satellites, and renewable energy. Taken together these elements indicate the trajectory of China’s MENA presence, and by examining each element in different states across the region, this book provides empirical evidence of which states or subregions are most important for Beijing’s regional ambitions, as well as a better understanding of which sectors are being developed. The book will draw substantial interest from a wide range of readers including academics in the field of Chinese foreign policy, international relations, international political economy, foreign policy analysis, and area studies. Professionals in the corporate world will also be engaged and governmental practitioners and non-government agencies will also find it an important resource.

Jonathan Fulton is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and a non-resident senior fellow for Middle East programs and the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council. An expert on Chinese policy towards the Middle East, he has written widely on the topic for both academic and popular publications. His previous books include China’s Relations with the Gulf Monarchies, Routledge Handbook of China-Middle East Relations, and Regions in the Belt and Road Initiative.