The Transformation of Knowledge Production in China’s Middle East Studies from a Global South Perspective

China’s research on the Middle East has undergone three phases. From the Bandung Conference to the current rise of the Global South, the focus of China’s Middle East studies has shifted continuously: from early research centered on national liberation and decolonization in Middle Eastern countries, to development-oriented modernization studies after the 1980s, and to the present practice of situating Middle East Studies within the framework of the Global South. Despite changes in research themes, what remains consistent in China’s Middle East studies is the strong empathy Chinese scholars hold toward the Middle East. This empathy stems from their shared identity as Global South countries and the common goal of modernization shared by Asian nations. Chinese scholars have no intention of constructing the Middle East as an ‘Other’ opposed to the ‘Self’. Instead, the intention is to view the Middle East from the perspective of the region itself or the Global South at large, so as to reveal its authentic features. Contemporary Middle Eastern issues are also examined from the perspective of long-term civilizational communication, transcending both conflict theories and various forms of centrism. China’s research approach offers a new alternative for global Middle East Studies.