Date: Friday September 20, 2024

Time: 2:45-4:00 PM

Venue: WDR 1007

Speaker: Andrea Ghiselli, Assistant Professor, School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University

Abstract

This event will explore the evolving dynamics of Sino-Middle Eastern relations in the context of a perceived decline of American influence in the region. As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) expands its economic and strategic footprint in West Asia and North Africa, local and global stakeholders are debating whether this shift signifies the dawn of a new regional order. Andrea Ghiselli will present insights from his latest research on the narratives produced by the foreign policy elites of China, Saudi Arabia, and Syria from 2010 to 2023. The event will analyze how these narratives reflect the changing perceptions of power, stability, and cooperation in the Middle East, addressing key questions such as: Is a Pax Sinica emerging in the region? How do local actors view China’s role compared to that of the United States?

Bio

Andrea Ghiselli is an Assistant Professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University. He is also the Head of Research of the ChinaMed Project, a research project that studies China’s relations with the countries of the wider Mediterranean region. Andrea is also the author of Protecting China’s Interests Overseas: Securitization and Foreign Policy (Oxford University Press, 2021) and In the Eye of the Beholder: Narratives of Sino-Middle Eastern Futures (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming in 2025).