2ND ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE:
CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Neoliberalism with Chinese
Characteristics and Political Transformations in the Middle East
College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar
University, Doha, QATAR
MARCH 23-24, 2016
ORGANIZED BY
ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE
Dr. Mohammedmoin Sadeq, College of Arts
and Sciences, Qatar University, Qatar
Dr. Guo Changgang, Center for Turkish
Studies, Shanghai University, China
Dr. Tuğrul Keskin, Maltepe University,
Turkey and Shanghai University, China
Dr. Jamsheed Choksy, Indiana University,
USA
Dr. Kemal Silay, Indiana University, USA
Description and
Objectives:
The
increasingly neoliberal economy that has developed since the early 1980s has
led to an emergence of a vibrant middle class in China. This new demographic,
roughly 350-400 million people, began to consume more. This has continued to
shape Chinese Foreign Policy towards oil producing countries, particularly in
the Middle East after Xi Jinping came to power in 2013. One of the first
signs of these changes can be seen in the proposal of a new Silk Road
initiative, introduced by Xi Jinping. Over the last two years, we have seen
the increase of Chinese political and social activities in the region, fueled
by the economic needs for PRC. As a result of this new political strategy, the
PRC started to play a more active role within the Middle Eastern political arena.
Hence, Xi Jinping visited
Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Chinese social and cultural
activities began to appear more visibly within the universities and educational
institutions in the Middle East. Hanban
Institutes started to open and finance Confucius Institutes in the region that
facilitate Chinese cultural and language classes and promote mutual
understanding between China and the Middle East. For example, these institutes
have arisen in Turkey, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan,
UAE, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Morocco. China has also become one of the largest
economic and trade partners with Middle Eastern states such as Iran, Turkey,
Pakistan, Egypt, Israel. Therefore, we would like to make this academic initiative
a permanent conference meeting, and each year, we will organize a China and the
Middle East Conference in different countries in collaboration with other
universities.
We organized a
very successful first academic conference on this topic in collaboration with
Beijing University, on March 17-18, 2015. The conference took place in Beijing
University and 24 papers were presented within six different panels. On the
second day, the newly opened Indiana University Beijing office hosted two
panels. The selected conference proceedings (approximately 6-8) will be
published by a peer-reviewed academic journal, the Sociology of Islam, in the
Winter of 2016. You will find the first conference program at the following
homepage:
Why the
conference will be held in Qatar:
This
conference is being held in Qatar precipitated by the Qatar Minister of
Culture, Arts and Heritage, Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari signing a
partnership agreement with the People’s Republic of China for the 2016 Year of
Culture program.
As a result of
this conference and academic initiative on China and the Middle East, we
established a new academic mailing list on China and the Middle East, hosted by
Virginia Tech University. In our second upcoming conference, we will examine
social, political and economic relations between China and Middle Eastern
states and societies in the context of the neoliberal economy. The conference proceedings
will also be published.
TENTATIVE PROGRAM
9:00-9:15 AM
Registration
9:15-9:30 AM
Welcome Speech: Dr. Eiman Mustafawi, Dean of Faculty of Arts
and Sciences, Qatar University.
9:30–9:45 AM
Keynote Speech:
H.E. LI
CHEN, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the State of Qatar.
9:45-10:00
Conference Introductory:
Tugrul Keskin,
Maltepe University, Turkey and Shanghai University, the
People's Republic of China
10:00 AM–11:45
AM
PANEL I: NEOLIBERALISM IN CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Moderator: Juan Cole,
University of Michigan, USA
Islamic-Sino Diplomacy and Trade during the Early Islamic Period - Mohammedmoin
Sadeq, Qatar University,
Qatar.
China's
Energy and Security Connection with the Gulf Region
- Tingyi Wang Visiting Fellow, King
Faisal Center, Saudi Arabia and Tsinghua University, China.
The
Political Economy of China-GCC Relations - Jonathan David
Fulton, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
In
Popularity We (Don’t) Trust: Soft Power and Public Diplomacy in U.S. and
Sino-Egyptian Relations - Alice Su, Princeton University/Peking University.
12:00–12:45
PM
Lunch
13:00–14:45
PM
PANEL II: ONE BELT, ONE RAOD: POLITICS TO
ECONOMY
Moderator: Mahjoob Zweiri, The chair of the
department of humanities, Qatar university
China's
Pakistan Initiative - Juan Cole, University of Michigan, USA
A Study of Guangzhou Arab Community’s
Business Strategy: An Organizational
Approach - Jie Wang, School of Middle Eastern
studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
China in the Middle East: A Political
Economy Perspective - Umut Ergunsü, Peking University.
China-Middle East Relations: New
Dimensions - Javed
Zafar, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
14:45–15:00
PM
Coffee Break
15:00–16:45
PM
PANEL III: SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CHANGES IN CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE CONTEXT
OF NEOLIBERALISM
Moderator: Dr. Ahmed Abou Shouk, Professor of
history, Department of Humanities
The Neoliberal Relationship between the
Kurdish Regional Government and Turkey: Is There a Role for China? - Lenore G. Martin, Emmanuel College and
Harvard University, USA.
The ‘Arab Spring’ and South China Sea
Tensions: Analyzing China’s Drive to
Energy Security - Henelito A. Sevilla, the Assistant Dean
for Administration and Public Affairs at the Asian Center, University of the
Philippines, Philippines.
China’s Growing Role in the
Israel-Palestine Conflict: The Changing Dynamics of China’s Relations with each
Actor – Oliver Hayakawa,
Exeter University, UK.
10:00 AM–11:45
PM
PANEL IV: CHINESE POLITICAL ECONOMY TOWARD MIDDLE EAST
Moderator: Mojtaba Mahdavi, University of Alberta,
Canada
The Chinese Model in Iran’s Look East
Policy - Mohiaddin Messbahi, Director of the
Middle East Studies Center, Florida International University and Mohammad Homayounvash, Florida
International University, USA.
China GCC Relations; Iran's Factor - Mahjoob
Zweiri, the chair of the department of humanities, Qatar university
Chinese Model and Power Struggle in Iran - Arash
Reisinezhad, Florida International University, USA.
China’s ‘New Silk Web’: How is it
impacting Iran, Pakistan and Beyond?
- Saeed Shafqat, Centre for Public
Policy and Governance, Forman Christian University, Lahore, Pakistan.
12:00–13:00
PM
Lunch
13:30–15:30
PM
PANEL V: ENERGY AND SECURITY IN CHINA AND MIDDLE EAST
Moderator: Dr. Mariam Al-Mulla, coordinator of the
department of humanities, Qatar University.
The Beijing Consensus in the Middle East:
Neo-liberalism without Democracy? - Mojtaba
Mahdavi, University of Alberta, Canada.
The decline
of American hegemony in the Gulf: the role of China - Michael
McCall, Leiden
University.
Commercial Diplomacy and China’s Economic
Engagement of the Gulf Cooperation Council - Marc Lanteigne,
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Norway.
Strategic energy knowledge relations
between China and the Middle East for managing power transition - Rasmus
Gjedssø Bertelsen, Professor, Barents Chair in Politics, University of
Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, Aalborg University and University of
Iceland.
Closing
Remarks
5:00–7:00 PM
Dinner
