Chinese-Middle East foreign policy :: essays research papers

Karl SchroederPolicy UpdateChina-Persian GulfChinas biggest issue in the Middle East is securing the oil and gas that they forget need with their go on economic growth. China has attempted to cultivate domestic oil production, merely their demand for oil has act to increase exponentially and it is clear that China will continue to need more and more Middle Eastern oil. China has made a number of big moves to help secure oil in the future. In September of 2004 China signed an agreement with Kazakhstan to establish an oil pipeline worth 3.5 billion dollars. Then in November of 2004 China signed a mega-gas deal with Iran that is worth 100 billion dollars, which could increase by up to another 100 billion. This deal entails the annual export of 10 million lashings of Iranian liquefied natural gas for a 25 year period. The deal also gives Chinas state oil company date in projects such as exploration, drilling and pipeline services. The export of liquefied natural gas requires speci al cargo ships and Iran is currently adding to its small fleet with continued working out in the future. Many thought that Chinas pipeline deal with Kazakhstan would user in a new era of Chinese opposed policy and help give China a big economic push, it is clear that this agreement was only the beginning for Chinas economic expansion in the world. It is difficult to comprehend or predict the economic, political and strategic importance of this deal. It is clear that this deal was a major blow to Bushs economic sanctions on Iran. Chinas cooperation with Iran has extended to political issues as well. After the natural gas deal China said that they would be nonvoluntary to refer the issue of Irans nuclear program to the Security Council. This cooperation has been beneficial for some(prenominal) states, China was able to secure oil and gas for the future, Iran gets political nutriment of a major power. China also began cooperating with Saudi Arabia in the 1990s in 1999 they signed a strategic oil cooperation agreement opening both states to future economic cooperation.Oil is Chinas greatest interest in the Middle East, the Middle East benefits from economically by providing China with oil, but many of the Middle Eastern states also want to purchase arms from China. China has moved more and more into arms sales as they stomach attempted to modernize their military and utilize their military build up.