The Red Star and the Crescent : China and the Middle East

__The Red Star and the Crescent__ provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolving relationship between China and the Middle East. Despite its increasing importance, very few studies have examined this dynamic, deepening, and multi-faceted nexus. James Reardon- Anderson has sought to fill this critical gap. The volume examines the "big picture" of international relations, then zooms in on case studies and probes the underlying domestic factors on each side. Reardon- Anderson tackles topics as diverse as China's security strategy in the Middle East, its military relations with the states of the region, its role in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the Uyghur question, and the significance and consequences of the Silk Road strategy. A comprehensive study of the changing forces driving one of the world's most important strategic, economic and cultural relationships The Red Star and the Crescent provides an in-depth and multi-disciplinary analysis of the evolving relationship between China and the Middle East. Despite its increasing importance, very few studies have examined this dynamic, deepening, and multi-faceted nexus. Led by James Reardon-Anderson, this research initiative by the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) has sought to fill this critical gap. This volume examines the "big picture" of international relations, then zooms in on case studies and probes the underlying domestic factors on each side. Reardon-Anderson and fellow contributors tackle topics as diverse as China's security strategy in the Middle East, its military relations with the states of the region, its role in the Iran nuclear negotiations, the Uyghur question, and the significance and consequences of the Silk Road strategy. A comprehensive study of the changing forces driving one of the world's most important strategic, economic and cultural relationships. -- Cover flap Cover 1 Half-title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 About the Contributors 8 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction: China and the Middle East 14 Part I: The Big Picture 24 1. China’s Search for Security in the Greater Middle East 26 2. China, the United States, and the Middle East 50 3. The China Model and the Middle East 72 Part II: Case Studies 94 4. China’s Military Relations with the Middle East 96 5. China and Turkey: Sailing Through Rough Waters 116 6. China and the Iran Nuclear Negotiations: Beijing’s Mediation Effort 136 7. China and Iraq 162 Part III: “One Belt, One Road” 182 8. Silk Roads and Global Strategy: China’s Quest 184 9. Choosing not to Choose: The Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle East 202 Part IV: Domestic Factors in China-Middle East Relations 218 10. Hajjis, Refugees, Salafi Preachers, and a Myriad of Others: An Examination of Islamic Connectivities in the Sino-Saudi Relationship 220 11. China’s Uyghurs: A Potential Time Bomb 254 Notes 274 Index 326