Growing Chinese Involvement in West Asia: Factors and Implications

China is an emerging power in the world and its influence in West Asian region is increasing rapidly. Since communists took over China, it maintained a good relationship with several countries in the region and now Beijing which has only friends and no enemy there, is seen as a competitor to US hegemony. Its rising economy, military power, market productivity and the so-called non-interventionist approach have given leverage to engage more with West Asian countries. Since China’s iconic project Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was announced, its expectations from these countries have increased. Beijing’s ambitions in West Asia are not limited to only oil, gas and market but the region also has a strategic importance and BRI includes all such aspects. The region is also very important because it comes between the Asia and Europe where Asia is known as the largest manufacturing region in the world in which China holds the key position and Europe and Africa are the important destinations for exporters. China’s trade and investment will be affected massively by any instability in the region and it will also affect its maritime activity and exports to Europe and Africa. Apart from the economic front, China is very much involved in the strategic issues of the region. It also has good relations with both Iran and Saudi Arabia and increasing its non-combatant presence in crises like the Syrian civil war. The aim of this chapter is to explain and explore China’s interest in the region and its impact on the region and global politics.