In a new episode of China Considered, Elizabeth Economy sits down with Jonathan Fulton to talk about China's role in the Middle East. Recorded just after a ceasefire reopened the Strait of Hormuz, the conversation begins with the war's toll on the region and the sense among Gulf governments that, however reluctantly, they are doubling down on the United States as the only power able to provide security at scale. Fulton argues that China's presence in the region is overwhelmingly economic—energy, trade, infrastructure, surveillance and digital technology—more so than Beijing being a key diplomatic or security actor. The two examine the 2023 Saudi-Iran agreement, questions about a Chinese facility in Abu Dhabi, the role of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and how issues like Xinjiang are received across the Arab world. He discusses where China currently stands relative to the U.S. and other powers in the region and where US and Chinese interests in the region might align.
Recorded on June 15, 2026.
