Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government, was quoted in an article in the South China Morning Post about China's increased involvement in the Middle East. According to the article, "Some analysts [argue] that China would be a perfect partner for peace in the dispute because it had good relations with Israel and Arab nations and [is] not seen as overly biased." Li expressed concern that China is ultimately using the Middle East as "bargaining power regarding Taiwain."
Li further suggested that China should only increase its involvement in the Middle East peace process to a limited degree, observing that the situation will be different in 10 years. "By then, China will be more ready to take a lead. At the moment, though, oil is not the most important issue, it's still Taiwan," he said.
