الشراكة الاستراتيجية الروسية– الصينية: أبعادها الدولية وتجلياتها الإقليمية في الشرق الأوسط  (2013-2024)

سالم بن مبارك شافي سالم آل شافي

doi:10.30907/jcopolicy.vi71.904

Authors

Salem Mubarak Shafi Salem Al Shafi Cairo University/ Faculty of Economics and Political Science/ Department of Political Science/ International Relations

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30907/jcopolicy.vi71.904

Keywords:

Russian-Chinese partnership, multipolarity, international system, Middle East

Abstract

The period 2013-2024 witnessed profound transformations in the structure of the international system, characterized by the relative decline of U.S. influence and the rise of both Russia and China. These shifts contributed to the deepening of the Russian–Chinese strategic partnership in the context of a shared pursuit of a multipolar international order. This coincided with China’s launch of the Belt and Road Initiative and Russia’s global repositioning, leading to a transition from limited coordination to growing political, economic, and military cooperation.

The Middle East has gained particular significance in the strategies of both powers. Russia strengthened its military and political presence, especially in Syria, and expanded its relations with Iran, leveraging energy and regional security dynamics. In contrast, China focused on expanding its economic footprint through investments and infrastructure projects, while enhancing its diplomatic role, as demonstrated by its mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023. The study reveals a relative complementarity between Russia’s hard power instruments and China’s economic and diplomatic instruments, despite the persistence of managed competition.

The study seeks to answer its central research question: To what extent has the Russian–Chinese strategic partnership affected their respective policies toward the Middle East during the period 2013–2024? It advances the hypothesis that the intensification of this partnership has contributed to enhancing their regional presence through complementary patterns of influence. Methodologically, the study adopts a descriptive–analytical approach, drawing on an analysis of official documents, trade and military data, and case studies of Syria, Iran, and the Gulf states, within a theoretical framework grounded in structural realism and power politics to explain the behavior of both actors amid transformations in the international system.

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