The Middle East’s View of the “China Model”

Jon B. Alterman

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U.S.-Chinese competition in the Middle East has been exacerbated by China’s increasing engagement in the region over the last 25 years, as well as the two states’ perceived stakes in regional patterns of governance. U.S. efforts to promote economic development overseas have yielded mixed results, and there is widespread frustration over contradictory U.S. strategic objectives and policies. Meanwhile, China's model of development, which features remarkable economic growth with comparatively little social disruption, appeals to Arab governments. On one level, the “China model” refers to China’s specific development model of state capitalism and digital repression. On another, the “China model” refers to a broader category of development models united in their departure from the Western-defined standard.

The CSIS Middle East Program researched Arab populations’ desire for an alternative development model to the one proffered by Western states. The program also explored the origins of the U.S. and Chinese development models, the regional appeal of the “China model,” and U.S. policy recommendations aimed at curtailing Beijing’s increasing influence in the Middle East. The project focused on Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates as case studies and used sources in English, Arabic, and Chinese. The project is based on field work in the Middle East and interviews with academics, businesspeople, Western embassy officials, expatriate consultants, and current and former foreign government officials.