Middle East Politics.Net » China http://middleeastpolitics.net Facts, News, Trends, Analysis Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:56:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Chinese To Join Other Navies in Gulf of Aden http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 06:20:30 +0000 davidhulme http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/ According to the NYT Dec 26, 2008, “The Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said Friday that 110 ships have been attacked in the gulf [of Aden] this year, and 42 have been hijacked. Fourteen ships are still being held for ransom.” This is part of the reason that China is sending warships to protect Chinese vessels carrying 60% of its oil imports and also raw materials from Africa. Both kinds of cargo cross the Gulf of Aden, the area suffering most from Somali pirate infestation. Chinese warships have not ventured outside of the Chinese region since the 15th century. They will join international efforts by other navies against this current form of piracy.

David Hulme

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/25/chinese-join-other-navies-in-gulf-of-aden/feed/ 0 China to Invest in Jordan http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/06/china-to-invest-in-jordan/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/06/china-to-invest-in-jordan/#comments Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:57:28 +0000 mmunguia http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=3788 Five Chinese enterprises that are currently participating in the 5th China Products Fair in Jordan have expressed interest in investing in product in the country. The economic and commercial counselor at China’s embassy in Jordan, Ma Jianchun, has says that Jordan is included in their plan to reach out to other strategic markets around the world.

Through their new markets, the Chinese want to prove that their products are of no lesser value than American products, simply because they are cheaper. It all has to do with competitveness.

There are 150 Chinese firms currently in Jordan participating in the in this year’s fair, which began on Tuesday. This is a 60 participant increase from last year.

Mayra Munguia


]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/12/06/china-to-invest-in-jordan/feed/ 0 China-Libya Trade Ties http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/30/china-railway-begins-libyan-railroad-project/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/30/china-railway-begins-libyan-railroad-project/#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:18:53 +0000 dada http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=3056

Following up on our recent posting re: The China Railway Construction Corporation which has begun a $1.7 billion, or 2.2 billion dinars, railroad project in Libya, there are other international companies involved. One is an unnamed Russian company.

Lately, China “has been aggressively seeking trade and investment ties with a number of African countries in an effort to tap into energy and natural resources to help feed its booming economy.”

The ties between Libya and China has formed to be the biggest trading partnership in Africa, amounting to more than $2.0 billion in trade last year.

Sarah Dada

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/30/china-railway-begins-libyan-railroad-project/feed/ 0 China Starts $1.7 Billion Railway Construction in Libya http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/29/china-starts-17-billion-railway-construction-in-libya/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/29/china-starts-17-billion-railway-construction-in-libya/#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:27:00 +0000 rdickson http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=3017 China Railway Construction Corp has begun building a $1.7 billion railway project in Libya, according to the Libyan state media, November 27th. The railway will be 453 kilometers long, and is to connect Tripoli with Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi’s costal home of Sirte, while also linking Libya’s factories and plants to its ports.

The railway is apart of Libya’s plan to build major network, connecting several other African states, including neighboring Maghreb countries. Other foreign companies, alongside the Chinese, will be involved in the North African railway project.

China has been adamantly pursuing trade and investment relations with Libya, making it one of its largest trade partners in Africa, in order to dive into its energy and natural resources to support its booming economy.

Roy Dickson

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/29/china-starts-17-billion-railway-construction-in-libya/feed/ 0 Jordan Signs Nuclear Agreements with China http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/28/jordan-signs-nuclear-agreement-with-china/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/28/jordan-signs-nuclear-agreement-with-china/#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:12:18 +0000 malcoun http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=2955 Jordan and China have signed two nuclear agreements. One will allow Jordan to get a Chinese non-critical training system, according to Khaled Touqan, President of the Jordan Nuclear Energy Commission. The system would be designed and built in coordination between the Chinese Atomic Energy Corporation and the Jordan University for Science and Technology, where it would be implemented.

The second agreement involves extracting uranium and building a research nuclear reactor in Jordan. Jordan has also signed nuclear cooperation accords with the United States, Britain, France, Russia and South Korea. Jordan has expressed the desire to increase its nuclear “know-how” after news of Iran’s nuclear program came out.

Kasey Malcoun

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/11/28/jordan-signs-nuclear-agreement-with-china/feed/ 0 Yemen Recalls Chinese Contaminated Products http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/19/yemen-recalls-chinese-contaminated-products/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/19/yemen-recalls-chinese-contaminated-products/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:22:00 +0000 hootstei http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=1463 Melamine-contaminated sweeteners and drinks have been withdrawn from Yemeni markets following scandals that Chinese milk products have been contaminated with toxic chemicals. Regardless, however, these products still exist in high quantities throughout the country, many people having purchased large quantities of the goods to store, prior to becoming aware of the contamination. Adding to the conflict, a report authorized by the General Authority for Standards, Metrology and Quality Control claims that Yemen is free from the Chinese contaminated product. This finding conflicts with what local authorities have claimed.

Finding contaminated milk products from China is predicted to negatively impact the well-established trust and business relationship between the Yemeni people and Chinese manufacturers. China has remained the biggest manufacturer and exporter of commercial food and commodities to Yemen. The Yemeni people look to China as the leader and example for safety and quality in production.

Yemen is specifically concerned for the rural population who are often of lower socio-economic status and are not only more likely to buy the contaminated food, but given their high illiteracy rates, less likely to be informed that the contamination exists.

It will be interesting to trace the developments and to see how the contamination scandal affects the relationship between China and Yemen. It seems that both China and Yemen will need to take active roles in the days ahead; China in ending the problem and Yemen in protecting and alerting its people.

Jenna Hootstein

]]> http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/10/19/yemen-recalls-chinese-contaminated-products/feed/ 0 Iran in Talks with China and India on Caspian Oil and Gas http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/11/iran-in-talks-with-cnpc-and-ongc-on-caspian/ http://middleeastpolitics.net/2008/09/11/iran-in-talks-with-cnpc-and-ongc-on-caspian/#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:01:57 +0000 bjrussel http://middleeastpolitics.net/?p=243 Iran is in talks with the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC) and India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) concerning oil and gas development in the Caspian Sea.  Though nothing has been finalized, Tehran already has a memorandum of agreement with Beijing to store strategic reserves in China.  Iran currently produces oil below industry standards due to lagging technology and lack of capital.  Three rounds of sanctions by the United Nations Security Council have cutoff Iran from Western, especially U.S., investment and so it has turned to Asia.  Due to the burgeoning petroleum needs, fast-growing, populous Asian countries are eager to insure continued supplies for their economies.

Talk of placing strategic reserves in Africa in order to get crude oil closer to buyers has also been confirmed.  It seems that while the West continues sanctions against Iran, the rest of the world is lining up to get a piece of the second largest oil-pie around.

Bridget Russell

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