The Brookings Doha Centre (BDC) and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences
(SASS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to initiate a
collaboration on academic research and scholarly exchange between China
and the Middle East.
As part of the agreement, the BDC and SASS will collaborate to produce
research examining policy issues on the political and economic relations
between China and the Middle East. They will also convene an annual
policy-oriented workshop focusing on issues related to the Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI), according to a press statement by the BDC.
The first joint workshop took place last week in Shanghai, China, and
brought together prominent experts from China and the Middle East to
discuss BRI’s action plan and policy challenges.
“We are pleased to establish this collaboration with a top think-tank
such as SASS whereby we will produce policy-oriented research on the
growing strategic relations between the Middle East and China,” said BDC
director Dr Tarik Yousef. “China’s importance to the security and
prosperity of the Middle East will expand significantly in the next few
decades.”
“This collaboration unites the complementary strengths of two leading
institutions to generate research and analysis that will provide
guidance to academics as wells as policy makers in both China and the
Middle East,” said Prof Yu Xinhui, chancellor of SASS. “We are honoured
to be working with the Brookings Doha Centre to contribute to achieving
the objectives of this partnership.”
Initiated by Xi Jinping in 2013, the BRI aims to direct considerable
resources towards infrastructure projects, including railway networks,
ports, highways, pipelines, utility grids and telecommunication networks
across more than 60 countries. It also aims to establish the world’s
largest platform for economic co-operation, including policy
co-ordination, trade and financial collaboration, and social and
cultural co-operation, running through Central Asia, the Middle East,
Africa and Europe.
Officials exchange documents after signing the MoU.