Dragon unbound? Regional influences on China's policies in the Middle East—Introduction

China has manifested its aspiration to create an interdependent global network that integrates its commercial, strategic, political, and cultural connections across the world. Eurasia, and the Middle East and North Africa within it, have certainly become a core part of China's global design. This volume aims to explain the process of Chinese expansion in the Middle East from an ‘inside-out’ perspective. It includes a series of country-specific case studies aimed at evaluating how local actors and their agencies have shaped China's role in the region.