China and the Middle East

Today's hearing will examine China's relations with the Middle East. Our first panel will assess the motivations behind Beijing's engagement with the region and explore how Chinese policymakers perceive the Middle East in the context of China's broader economic and strategic objectives. In our second panel, we'll call on witnesses to describe China's economic interests in the region. For centuries, China had robust ties with this part of the world by virtue of the Silk Road. Today, China's economic ties to the region are strong and growing. Foremost among China's economic interests is energy. China must increasingly rely on imported oil and gas to fuel its economy, and over one-half of China's oil imports come from the Middle East. Our third panel will examine China's approaches to political and security challenges, wrought by the Arab Spring, regime change in Egypt and Libya, the civil war in Syria, and Iran's nuclear capabilities and generally threatening posture.