FLASH
Shkruar nga Nejat Tamzok 
The Middle East is shaking. Anxiety is very high throughout the region. Some expect a regional war. Others say there will be a Third World War. However, we have not yet witnessed a voice from China that is proportional to the size and importance of this country...
So far we have seen a little mediation and that is it. In fact, China is at the top of the countries that should be most concerned about this region. How could it not be? It is the largest consumer of energy in the world. Every year, it consumes 3 times more energy than the entire European Union, and almost 2 times more than the USA.
China is the world's second largest consumer of oil after the US, and the third largest consumer of natural gas after the US and Russia. Last year, it consumed 17 percent of global crude oil and 11 percent of natural gas. On the other hand, the Middle East has the largest oil and gas resources in the world.
Therefore, it is impossible for China and the region not to have close energy-related contacts. As a result, nearly half of China's oil imports and a quarter of its gas imports come from this region. So the oil and natural gas reserves of the Middle East are extremely important for China's energy security.
Thus, any political or economic development in the region should be the main concern for China.
But in the meantime there is another side of the coin: the Middle East's dependence on China in energy trade is today greater than China's dependence on the Middle East. Why does this happen?
Because the balance in the oil and gas trade in the region has changed rapidly in recent years, and China's share has increased every year.
While the US accounted for roughly 10 percent of the region's total oil exports a decade ago, that figure fell to just 3.5 percent last year. Meanwhile, exports to the European continent remained relatively stable, at around 11 percent. However, China's share doubled to 30 percent from 15 percent.
Likewise, in the natural gas market, while Europe's share fell from about 20 percent to 15 percent over the past decade, China's more than doubled, rising from about 6 percent to 15 percent. This dependence is even more pronounced on a country basis.
Thus during 2023, Iraq sent to China 32 percent of its oil exports, Kuwait 30 percent, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates 25 percent. About 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports, and more than 20 percent of Qatar's LNG (liquefied natural gas) exports in 2023 were sent to the same country.
So, if they lose the Chinese market, it wouldn't take long for the economies of these countries to collapse. Driven by the need to trade their energy resources to China, a rising global power, Middle Eastern countries are strengthening their ties with the Asian giant, anticipating mutual benefits.
Moreover, this trend is accelerating with growing dissatisfaction with US policies in the region. Aware of the opportunity it has, China has been developing close relations with all countries in the region for years, and is trying to increase its economic and strategic influence.
And its activities in the Middle East are no longer limited to the energy sector. It is cooperating with countries in the region in various fields, including projects in infrastructure, finance and technology transfer.
Meanwhile, although it distances itself from the difficult tensions of the Middle East, China is very pleased that its arch-rival, the US, is a major player in these conflicts. She sees that the developments in the region, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, are increasingly discrediting the US, but also that its interdependence with the countries of the region, especially in the field of energy, is strengthening China.
As it tries to balance its relations with Israel, calling for moderation and peace after almost every tension or conflict in the region, China's direct criticism of Israel, this time regarding the Gaza issue, and moving towards a more pro-Palestinian along with other countries in the region, are well calculated steps by Beijing.
They aim to preserve its strategic interests in the Middle East, based on energy.
In the end, looking at the current positions of the parties, it seems that the US and Israel will continue to lose by fighting in the Middle East, while China will continue for some time to win without fighting./Adapted Pamphlet from " Eurasia Review”
Note: Dr. Nejat Tamzok, a well-known engineer in Turkey, at the same time a doctor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Ankara.
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