News Letter

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Justine Salam / Hany Besada 39
SBE, Vol.20, No.1, 2017
ISSN 1818-1228
©Copyright 2017/College of Business and Economics,
Qatar University
Gulf oil producers16. While Asia is becoming
the centre of the emerging global economic
order, the Middle East is becoming its primary
source of energy17. China is no exception; it is
drawn to the Middle East because of its thirst
for oil. When it became evident that China’s
energy production was insufficient to meet its
growing needs, Deng Xiaoping extended its
trade relations and economic ties with Middle
Eastern and North African countries, including
Saudi Arabia in the 1980s, and Iran and Sudan
in the 1990s.
China considers the Middle East as a viable
source to secure its energy imports, relies
heavily on the Middle Eastern oil, and wishes
to establish durable economic ties with Middle
Eastern states on the long-term18. Yet, the 9/11
attacks and the context of the war on terror have
given China a sense of vulnerability regarding
its oil imports from the Middle East and forced
the political leadership to consider new energy
sources to ensure China’s energy security.
Furthermore, Zhao points out that China used
to receive most of its energy supply from the
Middle East and the Asia Pacific region, but
the shift of Indonesia from an oil exporter to
an oil importer in 2004 has left a gap among
China’s usual suppliers19. Therefore, China’s
spread of economic ties with the oil-rich
countries of North Africa is driven by a desire
to further diversify its oil supply. It should
be noted that before the emergence of ISIS,
almost half of the oil Iraq was exporting was
destined for China. President Xi Jinping
16 Sager, A. (2010) “GCC-China Relations: Looking
Beyond Oil-Risks and Rewards,” in China’s Growing
Role in the Middle East: Implications for the Region and
Beyond. Eds. A. Sager and G. Kemp. Washington, DC: The
Nixon Center. (2010)
17 Olimat Muhammad S., China and the Middle East:
From Silk Road to Arab Spring, Reprint Edition, NewYork,
Rougtledge, 2015. Pp. 65
18 Wu 45
19 Zhao, H. “China’s Oil Venture in Africa.” East Asia
24.(2007)
condemned the horror attacks in Paris. The
terror group brutally murdered 129 people in
Paris (November 2015).He vowed to step up
the fight in the wake of the “barbaric” attacks
by militants linked to ISIS. Xi’s comments
have led to speculation that China is set to
bomb the terrorists to oblivion in Iraq and
Syria. China’s leaders see terrorism—as well
as separatism and extremism—as posing
significant potential threats to a wide range
of China’s national security interests. These
interests include almost every one of China’s
“core” interests such as social stability,
national unity, sovereignty and territorial
integrity, and sustained economic growth.
However, it also includes several of China’s
emerging interests like protecting its citizens
abroad, energy security, maritime security,
and China’s ability to shape an international
environment that is conducive to pursuing
China’s national interests. China pursues a
broad range of bilateral and multilateral efforts
in support of its counterterrorism objectives.
This includes the strengthening of cooperation
through multilateral organizations such as the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its
Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure.China also
cooperates, including with the United States,
on issues such as port security, trafficking
in international materials, and money-
laundering to help support the development
of conditions in the international environment
that make it difficult for terrorism to thrive.
This cooperation supports the U.S. National
Strategy for Combating Terrorism. China is
also pursuing wide-ranging bilateral security
cooperation. This includes meetings of law
enforcement and intelligence leaders, military
exercises, security force training, border
security agreements, and agreements for some
Chinese partners to remove anti-PRC terrorist
groups from their soil20.
20 Tanner Murray Scot and Bellacqua James. China’s
Response to Terrorism, U.S.-China Economic and Security