- 13 Aug 2025
[Book Talk] Building the Belt and Road Initiative in the Arab World – China’s Middle East Math
Join us for a special Book Talk with Professor Jonathan Fulton on his latest publication, Building the Belt and Road Initiative in the Arab World: China’s Middle East Math. Drawing on the 1+2+3 Cooperation Pattern introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2014, the book offers a compelling framework to understand China’s political economy strategy in the region, centred on energy cooperation, infrastructure development, and emerging sectors like nuclear and space technologies.
In this session, Prof. Fulton will discuss how different Arab states, and sub-regions have positioned themselves within this evolving equation, and what these reveals about Beijing’s strategic priorities. The talk will provide timely insights for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of Chinese foreign policy and Middle East regional dynamics.
This book talk, hosted by MEI, was held via Zoom from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm (SGT) on Wednesday, 13 August 2025.
Find the book abstract and an exclusive discount code for participants here.
Watch the full talk here:
Listen to the full event here:
Photo Caption: UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi arrives at the Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on October 16, 2023. (Photo by TINGSHU WANG / POOL / AFP)
About the Speakers
Associate Professor
Political Science in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, UAE
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 toward 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.
Research Fellow
Middle East Institute, NUS
[Moderator] Dr. Lin Jing is a Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. She specialises in Jewish philosophy, Hebrew literature, and Israel Studies. Previously, Dr Lin was a Senior Lecturer at the School of Asian & African Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), where she also served as the Director of the Department of Hebrew Studies from 2010 to 2019.
From 2020 to 2021, Dr. Lin was a Visiting Associate at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, in Singapore. She earned her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Peking University, focusing on Medieval Jewish philosophy, an M.A. in Jewish Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a B.A. in Arabic Language & Literature from BFSU.
Dr. Lin’s research interests include China-Middle Eastern relations, Jewish studies and inter-religious relations. She has published extensively in these areas and has translated several Hebrew literary works into Chinese.
