Narratives of Sino-Middle Eastern Futures

Narratives of Sino-Middle Eastern Futures attempts to discern the future trajectory and endpoint of Sino-Middle Eastern relations – are we on the precipice of a post-American Chinese hegemony in the region? Or are we reaching the outer limits of what is feasible within what are essentially transactional ties? Drawing on a wide range of multilingual sources from 2010 to 2023, and based on a framework of thin constructivism, the Element delves into the Saudi, Syrian and Chinese elite narratives regarding the Middle Eastern regional order and China’s envisaged place within it. By centering local perspectives, it offers insights into how these actors –with diverse positionalities in the region (vis-à-vis the United States) and different national capabilities– are debating the future of China in the Middle East, and what the juxtaposition of their multiple narratives mean for where things are headed. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Andrea Ghiselli (T.wai & University of Exeter) and Mohammed Alsudairi (Australian National University) are authors of the special issue of the Cambridge series in Elements in Middle East Politics “Narratives of Sino-Middle Eastern Futures: In the Eye of the Beholder” (Cambridge University Press, 2025), available in open access.