China is likely to develop a growing military presence in the Middle East over the next decade to protect its interests in the region, a British analyst said on Wednesday.
Patrick Seale, a consultant on Mideast affairs, told participants in an international Middle East conference in Jordan that the trade between China and Arab states totaled $132 billion in 2008, and that China's influence in the region is continually rising.
However, he said the international community is also watching closely what Russia plans to do in the Middle East, as countries in the region still miss the strong role of the Soviet Union.
The conference involving prominent politicians, experts and political analysts from Russia, Arab states and Israel, as well as a number of European countries and the United States, kicked off on Sunday. It was organized by Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti and the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy within the framework of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
SUWEIMA (Jordan), December 23 (RIA Novosti)
