Си обнуленный: что усиление лидера Китая обещает Ближнему Востоку [Xi Zeroed Out: What Strengthening China's Leader Promises To The Middle East]
TRT
In a conversation with TRT in Russian, Guy Burton, an associate professor at Vesalius College (Brussels), doubted that Xi's strengthening would affect China's Middle East strategy. “I don’t think this portends a change in direction - instead it will ensure consistency and continuity with the lines that have already been taken, especially with regard to the Belt and Road Initiative and the recent Global Development Initiative,” the analyst explained, pointing out that both projects were mentioned in Xi's conversations with figures from the region such as Bashar al-Assad.
At the same time, the TRT interlocutor in Russian drew attention to the challenges facing China in the Middle East arena, which, given the strengthening of Xi Jinping's power, could eventually turn into full-fledged problems. First, Burton said that as the Chinese side increases investment in the region's economy, there may be more and more signs of "growing tensions over his declared commitment to laissez-faire."
Photo: AP
In the future, Beijing will find it increasingly difficult to avoid the involvement of regional players in internal problems, especially when its commercial interests are at stake, the expert emphasized. “Second, China’s focus on state-based relations in the region could backfire if regimes in the Middle East fail to provide their people with better public services, economic opportunity and prosperity,” Burton said.
This situation, he said, stimulates protest potential and gives impetus to anti-government movements demanding the elimination of leaders, as happened ten years ago at the dawn of the Arab uprisings and in recent years in Sudan, Algeria, Iraq and Lebanon. "If Beijing gets too close to these regimes and if they are eliminated, this could mean that new leaders will come to power, who may be less favorable to China," the analyst concluded.
