The Oil Politics & Geopolitical Risks with China “Going out” Strategy toward the Greater Middle East

Abstract

Abstract: China- the Greater Middle East oil relations are of strategic importance to China's energy security. Beijing's energy security is mainly that of geopolitics in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). As the geopolitical conflicts in the MENA are defined as long-running and insolvable in the foreseeable future, oil supplies from these regions are inevitably unstable, which exerts direct impact not only on international energy market and oil prices, but also on China's energy security itself. Despite the substantial progress made ever the years in China-the Greater Middle East energy cooperation, restrictive factors such as resource nationalism are many, obstructing further development in this regard. Up to date, major cooperative breakthroughs are yet to be achieved in China's involvement in the exploration and production of the upstream sector in oil-rich Gulf countries. Pipeline politics is another challenge. Overall, China's incapability and policy for oil politics and geopolitical risks, the energy geopolitical risk will pose long-term impact on China's energy security. Accordingly, the paper tries to come up with some reflection concerning policies or policy proposals that may help to push China-the Greater Middle Eastern energy cooperation.