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Bruegel @bruegel.org · 27/05/2026

🎙️ NEW PODCAST: Reassessing China's role in the Middle East @yuyunzhan.bsky.social & @aligarciaherrero.bsky.social sit down with @jonathanfulton.bsky.social to interrogate some persistent assumptions about China's role in the Middle East. #Econsky 🔗 buff.ly/gevqKX8

buff.ly

Reassessing China's role in the Middle East

A complex region, persistent assumptions and the limits of Beijing's ambitions

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Jon Gambrell @jongambrell.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

APNewsAlert: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — #Iran issues its own ceasefire proposal, calling for war reparations and sovereignty over Strait of Hormuz.

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Michael Pettis @michaelpettis.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Caixin: "The China Automobile Dealers Association said in a report that 55.7% of dealerships lost money last year, up 14 percentage points from 2024, as intense competition forced them to sell vehicles below cost." www.caixinglobal.com/2026-03-20/c...

caixinglobal.com

China Auto Dealers Sink Deeper Into Losses Amid Brutal Price War

More than half of dealerships lost money in 2025 as discounting intensified and regulators curbed finance commissions

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Ahmed Al Omran @alomran.me · 17/03/2026

New by me and Andrew England: Gulf leaders opposed a strike, but they are now caught between wanting the conflict to end and fear that — if Trump suddenly stops — the war will leave a wounded, emboldened and more hardline Iran.

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Ed Newton-Rex @ednewtonrex.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Today, we're publishing Don't Steal This Book - a (mostly) empty book from almost 10,000 authors, protesting the theft of their work by AI companies. 🧵 1/3

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Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

They killed 180 children and their teachers in a double-tap strike on a school. The girls were 7 to 12 years old.

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Reuters @reuters.com · 02/03/2026

Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander said the Strait of Hormuz is closed and Iran is to set any ship trying to pass on fire, Iranian media reported. Live updates ➡️ reut.rs/4aK7TEn

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Margaret Killjoy @margaret.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Another friend put it to me like this: "ICE has made the classic Nazi mistake. They've invaded a winter people in the winter."

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

In addition to commentary, today’s post includes a China-Iran reading list and 6 video conversations with experts on the China-Iran relationship: open.substack.com/pub/chinamen...

open.substack.com

China and Iranian Protests.

I was on a client call yesterday with an international financial institution and the topic was the protests in Iran.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Who Can Solve Iran’s Many Problems? Not I, Says the President. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/w...

nytimes.com

Who Can Solve Iran’s Many Problems? Not I, Says the President.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

When Wang Yi came to the Gulf the China-GCC FTA was high on his agenda. In my latest column for AGBI I write about why I don't see a FTA any time soon: www.agbi.com/opinion/trad...

agbi.com

Beijing’s Gulf trade charm offensive meets familiar resistance

A GCC-China trade deal (free trade agreement / FTA) promises multilateralism but threatens nascent Gulf manufacturing

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

The SCO is running Sahand 2025 joint security exercises in Iran. Not to inflate the organizational significance of the SCO, but it does represent a well-timed gift for the Iranian government. chinamenanewsletter.substack.com/p/sco-runs-s...

chinamenanewsletter.substack.com

SCO Runs Sahand 2025 Joint Exercises in Iran

Plus: Syria-Xinjiang analysis, Chinese investment in Egypt's SCZone, ChinaMed analysis on Moroccan FM visit to China, UAE delegation to PRC on education and AI

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Up next: Canada First, Not Canada Alone by @asamckercher.bsky.social and @achapnick.bsky.social. One chapter in and really enjoying

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

In my latest column for AGBI I looked at recent visits to the UAE from South Korean President Lee and Canadian PM Carney. Middle powers in the Middle East: www.agbi.com/opinion/trad...

agbi.com

Visits by Canada and South Korea show the UAE is not all about the superpowers

Visits to the UAE from leaders from Canada and South Korea remind us that there is still room for countries other than the US and China

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Highly recommend @edwardluce.bsky.social fantastic bio of Brzezinski. Biography and history done well.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Just got the hard copy of this latest book for my series. Public Diplomacy between Asia and the Middle East will be useful for a lot you you. Congrats to Francesca Frasseneti, Sook Jong Lee, & Chiara Lovotti for a great contribution.

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AGSI @gulfstatesinst.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Event 9/18: Book Talk: Building the Belt and Road Initiative in the Arab World: China’s Middle East Math with author @jonathanfulton.bsky.social, moderated by Robert Mogielnicki. Register now. agsi.org/events/book-...

agsi.org

Book Talk: Building the Belt and Road Initiative in the Arab World: China's Middle East Math - Arab Gulf States Institute

On September 18, AGSI will host a discussion on the trajectory of China's presence in the Middle East.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

The Shanghai Cooperation Summit is in full swing in Tianjin, with Iranian and Turkish presidents and Egyptian PM in attendance. If you're looking for MENA-SCO content: chinamenanewsletter.substack.com/p/shanghai-c...

chinamenanewsletter.substack.com

Shanghai Cooperation Summit in Tianjin

So, today is Day 2 of the SCO Summit in Tianjin.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

A lot of China-MENA content in the newsletter today, including KSA investment delegation in PRC and China-Arab States Expo: chinamenanewsletter.substack.com/p/saudi-inve...

chinamenanewsletter.substack.com

Saudi investment delegation in China, PRC solar investments, China-Arab States Expo, and lots more

Far too much content to cover in the title line today...

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

Fun to come home to a box full of books.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

Nice to see @abuaardvark.bsky.social reviewed my book alongside the excellent recent one from @andreaghiselli.bsky.social and Mohammed Alsudairi.

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CIPS / CÉPI @cepi-cips.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Les chercheurs du CÉPI @thomasjuneau.bsky.social et @srdj.bsky.social travaillent depuis plusieurs années sur un projet consacré à la politique de défense canadienne. Le volume 1 a été publié en 2020, le volume 2 en 2023, et le travail sur le volume 3 débutera dans les prochains mois !

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

I'll be giving a book talk at Atlantic Council on August 27 to discuss Building the Belt and Road Initiative in the Arab World: China's Middle East Math. Register through the link and tune in to learn more about China's economic statecraft in the Middle East. www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/book-t...

atlanticcouncil.org

Book talk: China's Middle East math

Jonathan Fulton explores the expansion of Chinese power and influence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects undertaken in the “1+ 2+ 3 cooperation ...

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The China-Global South Project @chinagsproject.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

China–Middle East Analysis and the Future of China–middle East Studies.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

A fun birthday gift: @keeganmatheson.bsky.social’s great new addition to the @bluejays.com library.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

A roundup of recent developments in China-MENA relations, including a potential eVTOL deal with the UAE and an expansion of China's presence at SCZone in Egypt: open.substack.com/pub/chinamen...

open.substack.com

Air taxis and freight trains

Also: Chinese expansion in Egypt's SCZone, big contract for CHEC in Saudi, coverage of SCO Ministers' Meeting

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

If there’s a better way to write a column I haven’t found it yet.

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

I had fun talking with Eric Olander again for his must-listen China in the Global South Podcast. We discussed my new book and China-MENA in general. Always enjoy doing this show. Have a listen, subscribe and support the work Eric and his team is doing. chinaglobalsouth.com/podcasts/pod...

chinaglobalsouth.com

China’s Middle East Math

There was widespread disappointment in Iran that China didn't do more to help Tehran during the recent 12-day war with Israel and the United States. Beijing, for its part, offered robust rhetorical an...

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Nahal Toosi @nahaltoosi.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

1/I’ve obtained a farewell note a person in the human rights bureau sent out to his colleagues after being fired from the State Department today. A few tidbits from it:

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Jonathan Fulton @jonathanfulton.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Got some fantastic summer reading in the mail today - recent books by @valinasr.bsky.social and @elhamfakhro.bsky.social.

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