[Missing] The Chinese Belt and Road Project in the Middle East and North Africa

Publications

30 Oct 2020

Trade & Macro

External Publications

Katarzyna Sidło

Katarzyna Sidło
Dr Katarzyna W. Sidło specializes in the political economy, geo-economics and socioeconomic development of the European Union’s Southern Neighbourhood as well as EU-Mediterranean relations. She has a proven track record working on studies, evaluations and impact assessments commissioned by various international donors such as the European Parliament, the European Commission and its various departments and agencies, … <a href="https://case-research.eu/publications/the-chinese-belt-and-road-project-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-2/">Continued</a>

Articles from this author:
- Preparing for the enlargement from a territorial perspective: governance, policies and investments to ensure the role and means of LRAs in an enlarged EU
  The report examines the potential impacts of EU enlargement, focusing on Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. It highlights the benefits of a larger internal market, increased geopolitical influence, and improved food and energy security, while also addressing the financial and policy challenges, especially in agriculture and regional development. Enlargement would require major adjustments to the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy, with Ukraine’s vast agricultural sector putting particular pressure on EU funds. Financial estimates suggest significant budget needs, leading the report to outline three scenarios: no new members until 2041, a single large expansion, or a phased approach over multiple budget cycles. The report underscores the critical role of local and regional authorities (LRAs) in managing these changes, recommending support and shared strategies to ensure a balanced, sustainable approach to EU growth.
- Tourism and rural development
  The study delves into the multifaceted impact and potential of tourism in fostering rural development across the European Union (EU). Its aim is to equip local governments with practical insights, empowering them to effectively leverage the benefits of tourism in rural EU regions. Employing a diverse array of research methodologies, including interviews, case studies, and … Continued
- Prospects of reinvigorating the Middle East Peace Process: a possible joint EU-US undertaking?
  The resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute has been an issue of strategic and common interest for the European Union (EU) and the United States (USA). The Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) was initiated through the 1991 Madrid Conference co-sponsored by the Soviet Union and the USA. … Continued
Author’s articles

The Middle East and North Africa (or, following the Chinese nomenclature, Western Asia and North Africa) region has been of growing importance to Beijing for the past two decades. This has been predominantly due to China’s need to ensure its energy security. However, as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) expanded, so did the strategic importance of the land and sea routes connecting East Asia and Eurasia with Europe via the Persian Gulf, and the Red and the Mediterranean Seas. The need to protect these economic interests resulted, in turn, in the expansion of Chinese involvement in the region into political, military and cultural realms.The BRI, inaugurated in September 2013 by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, initially excluded most MENA countries. As the initiative evolved, however, more and more countries were incorporated by virtue of signing relevant Memorandums of Understanding. The foundations for a closer relationship with countries in the region had already been laid in the mid-2000s, when the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) were established. By the end of 2010, the China-GCC Strategic Dialogue had also been founded. Since the BRI was launched, bilateral relations between China and individual countries in the region have evolved further, with comprehensive strategic partnerships (China’s highest level in diplomatic relations) signed with Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and strategic partnerships with another eight states in the region. As its geographical scope expanded, so the BRI’s goals evolved, which currently encompass the enhancement of trade, connectivity, financial integration, political coordination and people-to-people relations (Xu, 2015).

This article was published in the IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook 2020

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[Missing] The Chinese Belt and Road Project in the Middle East and North Africa

Katarzyna Sidło

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