The evolution of European and Chinese interests in the MENA region

Defraigne, Jean-Christophe [FUSL] Fachqoul, Karima [FUSL]

MENA (Middle East and North Africa) refers to what some pejoratively call the Arab world, a generic name that in reality masks great heterogeneity. The region covers an area that stretches from the Maghreb territories to Iran through Israel and Turkey. It is thus a space consisting of several sub-regions(the Maghreb, the Middle East, the Gulf monarchies, and so on) which themselves cover deep ethnic, religious, linguistic or economic disparities. Moreover, MENA has long been and remains coveted by foreign powers, making it one of the most penetrated regions in the world and the subject of much rivalry (economic, political and military) and confrontation between the great powers. The region and its present-day borders have been determined in large part by Western European diplomatic and colonial policy. Analysis of the history of North Africa and Middle East is essential to understanding the region’s contemporary relationships with both the European Union and China The first part of this chapter reviews the Europe–MENA relations from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the end of the Cold War. It explains the incumbent dominant economic and strategic position built by Western European colonial powers and the United States in the region. It also describes the post-Cold-War relations between Europe and MENA since the Barcelona Process and analyzes the various interregional and bilateral initiatives. The second part discusses China’s recent penetration of the region, and analyzes the strategies pursued by the Chinese authorities. Finally, the conclusion addresses the latest interactions of the European Union (EU) and China in the region and outlines their respective prospects.