Divergent perceptions of China impact geopolitics
Countries in the Middle East view China’s growing power and influence in starkly different terms from the US and many of its Western allies. These alternative strategic perceptions are likely to have a decisive impact on geopolitics in the years to come. In some ways, they already are. Western perceptions of China increasingly align Over […]
Israel needs to chart its own course with respect to China
Israel’s alliance with the United States is the cornerstone of its foreign policy and should remain so. But a preponderance of common interests is not the same as an identity of common interests. Russia, for example, gave Israel a nearly free hand to engage Iranian assets in Syria even while Russia supported the Assad regime against American-backed […]
Israel government is new normal in the Middle East
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government is anything but the manifestation of extremism portrayed in most of the world’s media. Typical of misreporting in the Western press was Le Monde’s December 28 assertion that “the new coalition gives pride of place to Jewish extremists and the ultra-Orthodox, who plan to weaken the judiciary and expand settlements.” On […]
SIGNAL Group’s Seventh Annual Conference on Israel’s China Policy The 2022 SIGNAL Group Conference is particularly timely in taking stock of the primary drivers shaping Israel’s China Policy. The conference will examine the implications and unfolding dynamics of the Sino-American rivalry in the Middle East. In recent months, the U.S. has publicly acknowledged the growing […]
The China factor: US strategic turning point in the Middle East – opinion
President Biden’s recent Middle East visit might come to mark a strategic turning point. Viewed through the lens of great power competition with China, the Middle East is no longer a distraction for the US but rather a priority. Instead of exiting the Middle East, the US sees it must bolster its posture in the region to […]
U.S. gets an ally in India to counterbalance China in the Middle East
With American President Joe Biden scheduled to visit the Middle East between 13-16 July, stopping off in Israel and Saudi Arabia, many anticipate that a significant regional diplomatic breakthrough will accompany his trip. Since one of the stated goals of Biden’s very first trip is to discuss Israel’s ‘increasing integration into the greater region,’ pundits […]
How not to think about Israel-China relations: a conversation with Dr. Shalom Wald
Dr. Shalom Salomon Wald is a founding member of the board of academic and expert advisors at Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership – SIGNAL Group. Dr. Wald was born in Italy. He graduated (Ph.D.) in economics and history at the University of Basel, Switzerland, in 1962. Dr. Wald pursued a long career at the […]
China starts to sketch new Middle East architecture
As America recalibrates its terms of engagement with the Middle East, China has gradually been expanding its influence in ways that could alter the very character of the regional order. The burst of diplomatic activity between China and Middle Eastern countries that garnered widespread media attention in January this year is emblematic of this trend. At the […]
China and the Middle East in a Shifting Energy Landscape
China has long relied on the Middle East to secure much of the oil needed to fuel its rapid economic development. Now Chinese President Xi Jinping wishes to create an ‘ecological civilization’ that relies less on fossil fuels and more on renewable energy. As the world’s largest oil importer seeks to become greener and more […]
How China’s Afghanistan Policy Impacts Its Approach to the Middle East
The U.S. departure did not take Beijing by surprise. Likewise, Beijing has invested considerable thinking on how to avoid being part of the “graveyard of empires.” Yet while Chinese officials expressed satisfaction regarding the U.S. departure, these statements belie the reality it is now facing: with the United States gone, China will no longer benefit from the free regional security provided […]