Revolutionary Tide Sees New Friends for China

As Middle East nations are shaken by uprisings, the governments – both those that survive and the emerging powers – will confront a set of new foreign-policy choices. The West’s decades-old alliances with dictators while cheering on democratic movements could make it an unreliable partner for either traditional Arab regimes or newcomers. Many Arab nations will diversify relationships, relying less on US and Europe and forming new trade, security and political ties with rising China, predicts researcher Mei Xinyu in an opinion essay for China-based newspaper Global Times. “China's economic and trade cooperation with these countries has become increasingly rich, reaching a historical peak even before the 2008 financial crisis,” Mei concludes. Regardless of politics, China stands ready to help the Arab governments with trade, technological and infrastructure development, and other economic opportunities. – YaleGlobal