81 China’s Middle East Policy: Between Continuity and Change Assaf Orion, Galia Lavi, Doron Ella, and Israel Kanner &KLQDｶV SROLF\ RQ WKH 0LGGOH (DVW UHﾀHFWV FRQWLQXLW\ DQG HPERGLHV WUDGLWLRQDO HOHPHQWV 7KHVH LQFOXGH D UHODWLYHO\ ORZ OHYHO RI LQYROYHPHQW DQG LQﾀXHQFH LQ WKH UHJLRQ UHOLQTXLVKPHQW RI WKH VXSHUSRZHU SOD\LQJ ｿHOG WR WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV DQG 5XVVLD HVFKHZDO RI ELQGLQJ DOOLDQFHV PLOLWDU\ ZHDNQHVV LH WKH ODFN RI EDVHV IRUFHV IRUFH HPSOR\PHQW LQ WKH UHJLRQ SUHIHUHQFH IRU HFRQRPLF DFWLYLW\ DQG V\PEROLF ORQJ WHUP GLSORPDF\ DQG LQ JHQHUDO avoidance of steps with high potential for entanglement and risk. At the same time, however, China is facing changes – domestically, in East Asia and the Middle East, and globally – and must adjust to emerging environment. Therefore, in the next few years, China’s policy on the Middle East, and FRQVHTXHQWO\ RQ ,VUDHO ZLOO EH VKDSHG E\ WKH EDODQFH RI SUHVVXUHV E\ ERWK change-inhibiting and change-promoting factors. China’s Foreign Policy on the Middle East 6LQFH LWV IRXQGLQJ LQ DQG WKURXJKRXW WKH &ROG :DU WKH 3HRSOHｶV 5HSXEOLF RI &KLQD VRXJKW WR GLVWDQFH LWVHOI IURP ｳWKH LPSHULDOLVWLF :HVWｴ DV PXFK DV possible. As such, it forged closer relationships with Arab states, establishing diplomatic relations with some of them. Until the 1970s, however, China ZDV EHVHW E\ VRFLDO FKDRV DQG WUHPHQGRXV HFRQRPLF GLIｿFXOWLHV UHVXOWLQJ from the Great Leap Forward (1958-1961) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). These hampered China’s relations with the Arab states, as did Beijing’s support for communist parties and national liberation movements active in some of these states.