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SUMMARY:China's New Role in the Middle East - Dr. Chuchu Zhang\, Associate
  Professor\, Fudan University
DTSTART:20190612T160000Z
DTEND:20190612T180000Z
UID:TALK126409@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:82696
DESCRIPTION:Along with China's growing presence and interests in the Middl
 e East\, Beijing finds it increasingly challenging sitting on the sideline
 s of the region's conflicts and tensions\, and has called for establishing
  a new role in the Middle East. By adopting content analysis to examine 53
  articles written by Chinese scholars\, this research analyzes how Chinese
  scholars understand the concept of China's new role in the Middle East. I
 t argues that the concept is still under heated debate concerning to what 
 extent and in which aspects China should change the policy from non-interf
 erence and non-involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts\, whether China sho
 uld identify itself as an order participant or order shaper\, and which co
 untries China should attach most importance to when conducting role adjust
 ment in the region. The study finds that when formulating foreign policy t
 owards the Middle East\, the Chinese elites oscillates between prioritizin
 g economic interests and geopolitical concerns. This argument is tested by
  using the ordinary least squares model. The study contends that the new r
 ole is too vague to be institutionalized at this stage\, which reflects Ch
 inese elites' dilemma between expanding its political influence in the Mid
 dle East's rule-setting\, and trying to keep the risk-aversion diplomacy b
 y not turning any Middle Eastern country or major international player in 
 the region into a hostile force.
LOCATION:Queens' college\, Angevin room
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