In 2022, trade between China and Arab states soared to a record US$430 billion, almost double that from a decade earlier. This surge in trade was accompanied by numerous visits from Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the United Arab Emirates’ Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to Beijing. This flurry of trade and diplomatic activity, argues Dr Zhang Chuchu in China’s Changing Role in the Middle East: Filling a Power Vacuum? (Routledge, 2025), is solid evidence of China’s deliberate pivot to the region as a key arena for its global ambitions. Part of the Changing Dynamics in Asia-Middle East Relations series, the book provides a comprehensive examination of China’s evolving policies and strategic posture in the Middle East. Dr Zhang, an associate professor at the School of International Relations and Affairs at Fudan University, frames China’s turn towards the Middle East as part of its shift towards a more pro-active foreign policy, unveiled in 2016. This strategic vision placed the Middle East in the “extended neighbour” (dazhoubian) tier — the outermost concentric circle of Beijing’s foreign policy interests.
The author’s methodology, blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, is the book’s standout feature. She conducted content analysis of Mandarin-language sources like the People’s Daily newspaper and the China Academic Journals Full-text Database, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with Chinese scholars and diplomats, and archival research. This robust dataset, spanning over a decade, enables a granular examination of China’s shift from a passive norm-taker to a pro-active, transactionalist actor. Her theoretical innovation lies in the “transactional role enactment model”, which posits that China operates with intentionally vague and improvisational scripts, prioritising short-term, issue-specific interactions over long-term strategic commitments. This framework challenges traditional role theory’s reliance on fixed scripts, offering a fresh lens through which to understand China’s adaptive diplomacy.
The book’s nine chapters portray China’s diplomacy as flexible and adaptive. In the introduction, Dr. Zhang presents the “transactional role enactment model” to explain state behaviour, using the major 2016 foreign policy announcement — a switch from China’s previous low-profile approach to a more assertive role on the global stage — as a pivotal moment. Chapter 2 traces the transformation of China’s self-image from Maoist ideology to pragmatic Deng-era reforms and Xi Jinping’s assertive reorientation, contextualising it within global and intra-global shifts. Role theory is shown to allow continuity and change, as illustrated by case studies where China preserved traditional policies while adapting to regional dynamics. For instance, on the Palestinian issue, China maintained its support for statehood, but under President Xi, it hosted talks between Palestinian factions, reflecting a more proactive role. This shows how Beijing preserved its core policies while embracing new regional ones. More theory follows in Chapter 3, which explains how phrases like “peace through development”, and principles such as non-interference, function as ideational tools to shape China’s perception as a constructive global actor. These narratives enable China to project moral authority, while avoiding ideological entrenchment.
Subsequent chapters analyse China’s engagements with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Iran, Israel-Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and Libya. These chapters highlight China’s strategic balancing and mediation efforts, such as facilitating the Saudi-Iran agreement, while exposing the obstacles it faces amid persistent tensions in the region. When it comes to Riyadh and Tehran, for example, Dr Zhang notes that despite rapprochement, mutual distrust continues to limit the two nations’ engagement. The discussion of China’s shifting role in the Israeli-Palestinian issue is also worth highlighting: The author uses the Taiwan question to examine China’s relations with Israel.
Taiwan’s public support for Israel during the Gaza war, including symbolic gestures and aid, clashed with China’s pro-Palestinian stance and sovereignty concerns, straining China-Israel ties. Framed as democratic solidarity against potential Chinese threats, Taiwan’s stance has drawn US backing. These dynamics, coupled with Beijing’s criticism of Israel, underscore how Taiwan’s actions complicate China’s regional balancing act.
Overall, Dr Zhang notes that the Middle East’s wealth and geopolitical significance have prompted Beijing to prioritise security, regional stability, and bridging developed and underdeveloped economies. She argues that China’s transactionalist approach, emphasising sovereignty, non-interference and mutual benefits, distinguishes it from Western powers’ interventionist strategies, positioning Beijing as a reciprocal partner and regional balancer. She also challenges binary US-China rivalry narratives, arguing that Beijing seeks a multi-layered regional order collaboratively shaped by diverse actors, including India.
Ironically, the book’s strengths — its theoretical focus and academic depth — mean it will draw a limited audience. For general readers, there is little to be had. This could have been rectified by perhaps touching on cultural or soft power dynamics. For instance, while Dr Zhang notes China’s promotion of concepts like “sovereignty”, deeper exploration of cultural exchanges could enrich the analysis. Similarly, challenges like trade imbalances in Algeria and Turkey or unmet expectations for Syrian reconstruction could be further unpacked. Future studies might also explore Middle Eastern agency even more, building on Dr. Zhang’s acknowledgment of their strategic hedging.
China’s Changing Role in the Middle East is a vital contribution to international relations, Beijing’s foreign policy, and Middle Eastern studies. By framing the region as an “extended neighbour”, and contrasting it with China’s approach to others in this category, such as Africa, Dr Zhang illustrates Beijing’s strategic pragmatism and its influence in reshaping regional dynamics. The book’s rigorous methodology, theoretical innovation, and nuanced insights make it essential for scholars, policymakers, and students. It not only enhances understanding of Sino-Middle Eastern relations, but also offers a model for analysing rising powers in complex geopolitical landscapes.
Image: Dr Zhang Chuchu
About the Author
Dr Jing Lin specialises in Jewish philosophy, Hebrew literature, and Israel Studies. She has been a Senior Lecturer at the School of Asian & African Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).
From 2020 to 2021, Dr Lin was a Visiting Associate at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She also directed the Department of Hebrew Studies at BFSU from 2010 to 2019.
Dr Lin earned her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Peking University, focusing on Medieval Jewish philosophy. She holds an M.A. in Jewish Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a B.A. in Arabic Language & Literature from BFSU.
Her research interests include Israel studies, Jewish philosophy, and inter-religious relations. She has published extensively in these areas and translated several Hebrew literary works into Chinese.
