Deficient Developmental Planning Leading to Water Conflicts across Political Borders: The Way Forward

In this article, Turkey, Iran and Syria in the Middle East area are taken as examples for deficient planning and development of water resources shared with their downstream countries resulting in severe social, economic and political percussions to these neighbors. The current situation in the Middle East with wars against terrorism, uprising of population groups, and COVID-19 Pandemic have not allowed the affected countries Jordan, Iraq and Syria to properly react to the assaults of upstream water development and diversions on their fair shares in the transboundary waters. The rivers’ upstream developmental schemes have not taken advantages of recent advanced technological knowhow of water efficient development and use, seemingly because the arising water problems and catastrophes will not affect these upstream countries, but their downstream neighbors. Although, it is by now known that pressurized water conveyance system relative to canals saves 10% - 20% of the transmitted water, and drip and sprinkler irrigation require only 40% - 50% of the water used in surface and furrow irrigation, that is in addition to agricultural production increases when using advanced management strategies. As enhancing policies, tradeoffs between downstream and upstream countries are thought of as a strategic option to improve the water use efficiency in upstream countries in order to help downstream countries in obtaining their fair shares of the transboundary water resources.

CPEC and the Belt and Road Initiative:Economic Implications for the Greater Middle East

This article aims to analyse the economic significance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC),a core component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI),for the Greater Middle East with focus on Pakistan,Saudi Arabia,the United Arab Emirates(UAE),Qatar and Oman.In so doing,the article underscores on the one hand the existing economic cooperation between Pakistan and the said countries and on the other highlights China’s growing interest in the Arab World in terms of trade.In this respect,the study incorporates the economic values of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,Qatar National Vision(2030)and Oman Vision(2040)which provide for transregional economic cooperation in terms of market connectivity.In order to realise the latter,the CPEC,as part of the BRI,offers itself as means and market to transregional stakeholders.Empirically,the study posits that CPEC under the BRI framework carries positive economic implications for the Greater Middle East on account of existing and emerging investment and trade trends transregionally.Nonetheless,prospects for economic cooperation are beset with geopolitical challenges such as the recent Iran-US stand-off.The BRI,in remedial terms,can generate stakes for transregional(non-)BRI countries,especially Iran,India and the US in order to prefer peaceful means for conflict resolution.

Research on the Planning and Development of Industrial Cities in the Middle East Arab Countries Under the Belt and Road Initiative

Industrial city is an important concept in urban planning.This paper discusses the connotation,origination,quantity,scale,type,distribution,achievements,and planning characteristics of industrial cities in the Middle East Arab countries through literature,statistical,and comparative analyses.It identifies the problems and challenges industrial cities in the Middle East Arab countries are facing and proposes relevant countermeasures for their transformation under the new situation of the Belt and Road Initiative.At present,the research shows that there are about 100 industrial cities planned and constructed in Saudi Arabia,Syria,Qatar,and other Middle East Arab countries.Composed of free trade zones,industrial parks,and handicraft zones,a multi-levelled carrier system is formed for regional industrialization,helping to optimize the urban and economic geography pattern and to promote the integration of industrialization and urbanization of the region.They become a systematic upgrade and comprehensive transcendence of free trade zones and industrial zones,forming a comprehensive platform for the Middle East Arab countries to promote resource development and integration,industry upgrading and transformation,and industry-city integration and symbiosis.The paper proposes that China and the Middle East Arab countries should learn from each other regarding the planning and development of industrial cities and manage to achieve the coordinated development between China’s Overseas International Cooperation Parks and the Middle East Arab countries’industrial cities.

China’s Strategic Option:Approach the Greater Middle East through the Eurasian Hinterland

To eliminate the long-term threat to the northern and northwestern territories imposed by Huns in 138 B.C.,Liu Che,the Emperor of the Han Dynasty,sent Zhang Qian to go to Xiyu(the wild-west region)and tried to ally with Great Yüeh-chin,Huns’sworn enemy,so as to attack Huns from both east and west sides.As long as 13 years of his reign,Zhang Qian was captured and detained by the Huns twice,but he escaped successfully each time.He reached the regions known today as Uzbekistan,Kazakhstan and north of Afghanistan and some other places with thousands of miles journey.In 126 B.C.,Zhang Qian came back to Chang-An,the capital of the Han Dynasty.Unfortunately,only one person Tang Yifu out of over 100 members in the diplomatic team survived and returned with him.Of course,the diplomatic mission of allying Great Yüeh-chin was not fulfilled.However,Zhang Qian’s expedition to the West Regions was still of great importance.It is based on his geographic,cultural and social knowledge about the West Region that the continuous military actions initiated by the Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty succeeded finally.What’s more,Zhang Qian’s Expedition to the West Regions accelerated the cultural and economic exchanges between the East and the West,which influenced the development process of world history of civilization directly and continually(Fan,1964:86-89).Today,there is no immediate military threat to China’s northwest and north,while it is convenient for China to connect quickly with other countries and regions by the development of transport and communication technologies.Particularly,the acceleration of the globalization and innovation of the internet technology has even linked the most remote areas of China with the world.However,the geo-political factors in the hinterlands of the Eurasian continent still significantly exert impact on China’s security and development.Therefore,it is very necessary for China to make another and even more significant and extensive“Expedition to the West Regions”-to strategically approach the Greater Middle East through the hinterland.

The Oil Politics & Geopolitical Risks with China “Going out” Strategy toward the Greater Middle East

China-the Greater Middle East oil relations are of strategic importance to China’s energy security.Beijing’s energy security is mainly that of geopolitics in the Middle East and North Africa(MENA).As the geopolitical conflicts in the MENA are defined as long-running and insolvable in the foreseeable future,oil supplies from these regions are inevitably unstable,which exerts direct impact not only on international energy market and oil prices,but also on China’s energy security itself.Despite the substantial progress made over the years in China-the Greater Middle East energy cooperation,restrictive factors such as resource nationalism are many,obstructing further development in this regard.Up to date,major cooperative breakthroughs are yet to be achieved in China’s involvement in the exploration and production of the upstream sector in oil-rich Gulf countries.Pipeline politics is another challenge.Overall,China's incapability and policy for oil politics and geopolitical risks,the energy geopolitical risk will pose long-term impact on China's energy security.Accordingly,the paper tries to come up with some reflection concerning policies or policy proposals that may help to push China-the Greater Middle Eastern energy cooperation.

Dialogue among Civilizations:A Close Look at the GreaterMiddle East Reform

“The Greater Middle East Reform”has always been a heatedly debated issue in the international community.Although the Arab-Islamic countries have aspired for reform toward modernization,their religious beliefs and nationalism have kept playing an essential role in shaping their political life.Therefore,they feel it hard to adopt the democratic system as the U.S.expects.This article analyzes the Arab-Islamic countries’perceptions on and reactions to the U.S.’s democratic transformation in the Middle East.This article also aims to draw Chinese scholars’attention to the Islamic culture as a key factor of regional diplomacy in the Middle East.

Adjustment of Obama’s Middle East Policy and the Trend of the Region’s Hot-spot Issues

There are three dynamics and five attributes for the Obama administration’s adjustment in its Middle East policy.The changing Middle East policy highlights the following points:shifting anti-terror battlefield from Iraq to Afghanistan,withdrawing troops from Iraq in a step-by-step manner,taking a positive attitude towards Palestine-Israel peace talks,striving to initiate a face-to-face dialogue with Iran,and settling international disputes by diplomatic means.However,the solution to Middle East hot-spot issues hinges on some uncertain factors which are the most important and most challenging part in the Obama administration’s foreign policy.

Middle Eastern Situation in a Changing World

With the changes of the international situation,the Obama administration has adjusted its foreign policy.Although the biggest change happens in the US Middle East policy,what has changed is not its strategy but tactics or manoeuvres.The adjusted Middle East policy is unlikely to be implemented in practice.The decline of the national power of the US weakens its leading role in the Middle East issue.Despite their recent development,hot-spot issues in the"Greater Middle East"such as the Palestine-Israel conflicts,the Afghan War,the Iraqi War and the Iranian nuclear issue shall anticipate no easy resolution because of their complexity and involution.

A Vital Maritime Pinch Point:China,the Bab al-Mandeb,and the Middle East

In 2013,Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the proposal of a“New Maritime Silk Road”in conjunction with China’s“Silk Road Economic Belt”project or“One Belt and One Road”(OBOR)initiative to support China’s growing economy and to expand the PRC’s economic influence and network across Eurasia on land and at sea.This article examines the Maritime Silk Road initiative and how it aligns with a larger Chinese maritime strategy to expand China’s maritime presence in the Indian Ocean and Middle East for economic,political,and security reasons.It also looks at how China might soon be well positioned to act as an additional stabilizing force for the broader Middle East.Through an in-depth case study,it will examine China’s increased presence and interest in the world’s most strategic chokepoints:the Bab al-Mandeb.China’s navy has been an important contributor to the Combined Task Force 150 counter-piracy exercises off the Horn of Africa and Arabian Sea and this might bode well for a larger footprint in Djibouti and into the Arabian Peninsula.Understanding China’s increased presence in Djibouti and at the Bab al-Mandeb,in addition to new and emerging regional economic and political partnerships with China,is vitally important for our understanding of future regional security and politics.

我国东中西片农作制特征与战略优先序

在以县域为单元的中国农作制区划的基础上,将全国划分为三大片:东部沿海片、中部平原片和西部高原生态脆弱片。分析讨论了这三大片的农作制特征与战略优先序,以为宏观决策参考。

国际格局变化中的中东局势

由于世界格局发生重大变化,奥巴马政府外交政策出现了调整。美国中东政策调整幅度最大,但只是策略和手法的变化,而非战略性改变。美国宣示的调整后的中东政策不可能如实执行。随着美国力衰减,美主导中东事务的能力减弱。大中东热点问题如巴以冲突、阿富汗战争、伊拉克战争和伊朗核问题都出现了一些新的变化,但这些问题矛盾复杂,涉及面广,仍难以解决。

中南亚:美国主导下的地缘政治现实及其影响

近年来,作为一个重要的地缘政治概念,"中南亚"引起了越来越多学者的注意和研究。从概念区别来看,"中南亚"的出现与一般意义上的地区主义概念差别较大,它是美国主导下出现的地缘政治概念,是中东的延伸。从地缘位置来看,中南亚紧邻我国,美国对中南亚的控制和影响对我国能源、社会、国家安全等具有重要影响,这无疑值得我们关注。

美国“大中东民主计划”的经济学分析

美国"大中东民主计划"是控制中东独霸世界的全球战略的重要组成部分,该计划的核心目的就是要通过民主化改造,扶持建立亲美政权的国家和组织,削弱和瓦解OPEC组织,进而控制石油资源,从经济上独霸世界,控制盟国,遏制潜在对手。

伊核全面协议达成后以色列在中东的战略地位

伊核问题的出现,引起美国、以色列及一些逊尼派阿拉伯国家的强烈不安,从而形成了一种前所未有的合作,这大大改善了以色列在中东的战略环境,提升了其战略地位。而伊核全面协议的签署,引发了以色列、逊尼派阿拉伯国家与美国的分歧。基于对伊朗实力上升的担忧,以色列不仅将加强与逊尼派阿拉伯国家的合作,还将通过加强与俄罗斯和中国的合作来对冲,从而对中东地缘政治格局产生影响。

伊战后沙特阿拉伯地缘政治环境分析

伊战后,沙特阿拉伯地缘政治环境发生了重大变化,主要表现在沙特王室在民主化改造中进退维谷,意识形态危机加剧,沙美盟友关系龃龉不断,安全环境变数增多,多边外交步履迟缓。民主化改造所激起的社会张力和因现代化受挫后的屈辱与不忿而引发的社会动荡,将成为沙特政府长期面临的两个严峻考验。伊战后的沙特,必须重新确定自己在新的国际和地区格局里的发展方向。

非政府组织因素与美国大中东计划

非政府组织对内是美国的民主制度之一,对外是美国政府“沉默的伙伴”,是美国政府对外政策的工具。大中东计划是美国为牢牢控制中东丰富的石油资源,巩固其全球霸主地位的战略性计划。非政府组织对该计划的产生、实施和维护起了重要作用。

中东民主化的可能性和艰巨性

自从美国的“大中东”民主计划提出后,中东民主化已在阿拉伯—伊斯兰世界产生了较大的影响。本文试从理论角度分析中东民主化进程,认为它主要受四个因素制约,一是伊斯兰与民主既相容又不相容;二是美国的中东政策发生了变化,从“例外论”到“改造论”,从“文明冲突论”到“第三波”民主浪潮,但双重标准不会改变;三是民主和反恐不是相辅相成的;四是现代化与民主并非成正比。因此,中东民主化的实现将是个漫长而艰巨的过程。

新自由主义经济政策的再次失败?——浅评美国“大中东经济计划”

美国大中东经济计划的实质是要在大中东地区推行市场经济的价值观和新自由主义的经济政策。但这与大中东地区的宗教、文化相冲突,实施起来极为困难。新自由主义经济政策也不一定符合大中东地区的需要。美国试图用新自由主义经济政策改造拉美地区的计划已遭失败,美国的大中东计划前景如何,人们将拭目以待。

美国“大中东民主计划”的经济学分析

美国中东民主计划是控制中东独霸世界的全球战略的重要组成部分。中东地区的石油储量占全世界的2/3,美国通过民主化改造,扶持建立亲美政权的国家和组织,削弱和瓦解OPEC组织,进而控制石油资源,从经济上独霸世界,控制盟国,遏制潜在对手。

中部经济地带在东西互动战略中的策略选择

策略规划是高层次的组织管理行为,在区域经济发展过程中起着不可替代的宏观指导作用。中国从"十五"开始全面推行东西互动的发展战略。在这一宏观发展态势之下,综合评判中部经济地带发展的优、劣势条件,并针对外在环境变化的特质,指出中部发展面临的机遇与挑战,制订出四个具体的行动策略:中部应组建"中部地带经济发展联盟",整合经济发展的区域优势;中部必须摒弃固步自封,唯我独尊的腹地中心意识,更新发展观念,净化经济环境;中部应从资源导向型、自我发展型的产业战略转向以市场需求的、以吸引内外资源的市场导向型战略,形成在国际、国内市场均具竞争力的专门化产业基地;中部应进一步加快交通运输建设,形成利于客货流动的、四通八达的综合运输网络,全面促进旅游业发展。