P. R. Kumaraswamy, however, does a fine job in exploring this very intriguing and little-understood facet in the study of the modern Middle East. The twenty-first century will certainly witness the rise of China in the international community, and its influence is certain to extend into the Middle East. China’s quest for energy sources to fuel its expanding economy, its drive for military sales, and its diplomatic overtures are all explored in this collection of essays. As a result, this study provides a good introduction to many of the issues involved in China’s relations with the states of the modern Middle East.

In his introduction, Kumaraswamy sets the stage for the volume’s contributors by exploring the reasons behind China’s historically limited interaction with the Middle East. He cites China’s internal social and political upheavals, post-revolutionary reorganization, and the proximity of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Further, Kumaraswamy asserts that China’s lack of influence in the Middle East can be traced to Islam’s “deep” suspicion of atheistic communism, and Moscow’s financial and material generosity. Kumaraswamy distills China’s Middle East ambitions to a quest for “political legitimacy” (p.11). In its bid to achieve recognition at the expense of Taiwan, he asserts Beijing sought to overcome the previously mentioned obstacles and was eager to offer “political, economic, ideological and even military support to the region” (p. 12).

In the collection of essays that follow, editor Kumaraswamy has assembled a pool of knowledgeable contributors both well-versed in their subjects and thorough in their examination. They address three main areas: country-specific relations, Beijing’s military ties to the Middle East and economic relationships. China’s political and diplomatic relations with Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan are all reviewed. Three chapters are devoted to China’s arms exports to the region and related questions of weapons proliferation. The economic dimension is considered with attention to Beijing’s hydrocarbon resources, needs and anticipated consumption.

Kumaraswamy himself explores relations between China and Israel, while William Haddad and Mary Foeldi-Hardy write on those with the Palestinians. Iraq is the subject of John Calabrese’s contribution; and relations with Turkey and Pakistan are addressed in chapters by Mehmet Ogutcu and Samina Yasmeen, respectively. Barry Rubin penned a section entitled “China’s Middle East Strategy,” in which he details the challenges and frustrations experienced by Beijing in attempting to increase its regional influence.

Yitzhak Shichor’s “China’s Economic Relations with the Middle East: New Dimensions,” provides an intriguing review of recent developments. Beijing’s increasing reliance on imported oil is considered in terms of “political and strategic implications.” That is, as China continues its accelerated industrialization, the hydrocarbon resources of the Middle East and Central Asia will continue to play an important role in its economic planning. Viewed through this lens, Shichor’s chapter provides some detailed analysis on this developing relationship. Many sources have drawn attention to China’s increased thirst for oil. American intelligence agencies estimate that China will be the largest single importer of Middle East oil in the near future, buying over 75 percent of this product by the year 2015. As a result, Shichor’s contribution is especially enlightening.

In the final chapter David Dewitt provides a succinct commentary that places the issues explored in this collection within the larger context of regional affairs and international relations. He concludes that “population, energy and strategic environment are the basic factors which propel China towards more active involvement in the region. These ultimately are conditioned by China’s desire to become a central player in international politics, to move beyond its own borders into areas in which it will be seen as an actor of equivalence to the traditional world powers” (p. 213).

Kumaraswamy’s collection offers an interesting introduction to the issues surrounding China’s relations with the states of the Middle East. It is unfortunate, however, that certain areas were left unexamined. The study would have benefited from a greater emphasis on the role of China’s own Muslim population vis-à-vis Beijing’s perceptions and interactions with the greater Muslim world. China’s 20 million Muslims are increasingly exposed to the rest of the Islamic world through travel, exchanges and limited annual Hajj participation. Moreover, increased investments, primarily from the Gulf countries, in Chinese mosques and educational foundations have further expanded the region’s ties to a segment of China’s population that Beijing continues to view with unease and suspicion. Coupled with the independence aspirations held by some in Xinjiang, this is could have been a productive area to explore further.

On a similar note, this collection only makes cursory mention of the newly independent states of Central Asia, often in relation to the region’s hydrocarbon potential. While much is made of China’s thirst for oil, little is made of Beijing’s increasing investment in the Central Asian oil and gas sector. This is important not because of the PRC’s proximity to these potentially huge reserves, but because the Central Asian republics and China face similar challenges: militant unrest, centralized economies and rampant corruption. Perhaps most important, the elites of China and the republics speak the same political language and were groomed for leadership in similar environments. As the separations between the Middle East and Central Asia continue to blur and China’s quest for influence expands, this study would have benefited from further discussion of these issues.

Despite the fact that this volume has drawn criticisms from certain quarters, it does represent a significant contribution to the scholarly study of the region. The omissions aside, Kumaraswamy and his contributors deserve credit for exploring an area of Middle East studies that has for too long gone underrepresented in English-language texts. As China’s role on the world stage continues to grow, so shall its impact on the Middle East. Likewise, as an emerging superpower and permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Beijing will increasingly draw the attention of the region’s states. This collection is a thorough study of what will become a vital area within the field.