Регионы в современном мире: глобализация и Азия. Зарубежное регионоведение - стр. 24

In recent years China has significantly expanded its economic footprint in the Middle East. China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, aims to economically connect more than 60 countries throughout Middle East, Africa, Europe, South America and southern regions of Asia. The OBOR or BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) by China intends to revive the ancient Silk Road along with a Maritime Silk Road. The Middle East plays a vital role in the implementation of OBOR as it is a source of energy, providing more than half of China’s crude oil imports. Besides, it is also a pivotal point for market access in Europe and Africa, where the EU is China’s largest export market. China has invested heavily in the sectors including port development, oil and refinery development, and infrastructure development in the Middle East region. China has also accelerated negotiations for the establishment of a free trade area between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This article is an attempt to explore the nature of China’s growing presence in the Middle East, and its implications in the region. For China, Middle East is a trading hub as around 70 per cent of the trade import in China comes from Middle East. China is also promoting cultural exchange programmes and people-to-people interactions. Thus, this paper attempts to analyse China’s presence in the Middle East and its efforts towards regional integration, as the One Belt One Road initiative has initiated development in the regions like Middle East and Africa and is trying to bind the world in one thread.

Keywords: China, Middle East, One Belt One Road, infrastructure development, regional integration.

One Belt One Road initiative comprises of two notions introduced by the President of China Xi Jinping in 2013 to endorse economic engagement and investment along two major routes. The first route, the New Silk Road Economic Belt, is reported to run westward overland through Central Asia to Europe. The second route, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, is expected to make a loop around south and westward by sea towards Europe, with proposed stopovers in South-east Asia, South Asia and Africa.

In recent years, Chinese companies are leaving their home-based market and going to foreign markets and establish itself. President Xi is putting efforts to strengthen China’s global position. He has declared several high-profile multilateral initiatives envisioned to advance China’s international existence and promote closer ties with other countries. One belt, one road “not only represents a renewed, stronger and better coordinated push to expand China’s influence overseas, but it is also coupled with a domestic investment drive, in which nearly every Chinese province has a stake