SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST - Sunday, 18 September, 2016
As China expands its interests in the Middle
East, some experts are calling for Beijing to eschew its long-standing
policy on non-interference in other countries’ affairs and set up
permanent military bases.
A more comprehensive engagement would ensure
better protection for Chinese nationals working in the region and the
significant investment by Chinese companies there, they said.
Until recently, Beijing’s foreign policy
in the Middle East has been overwhelmingly concerned with building
relationships with governments while avoiding any overt demonstrations
of influence. But that reluctance is fading.In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and Iran when the two nations broke off diplomatic ties, in a bid to stay friendly with both sides on the Sunni-Shiite divide. He brought with him US$55 billion in loans and investments for the region, including a US$20 billion fund for the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
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