| In early 2009, China overtook the United States as the | | | | Business TV, a cable television channel. The channel |
| world's largest exporter to the Middle East, having | | | | broadcasts throughout the Middle East via Nilesat. It |
| already raced passed the United Kingdom and | | | | runs regular English-language promotional spots for |
| Germany. It was the first time in over 60-years that | | | | Chinese products and services to the Middle East's |
| the number one ranking had changed. The event | | | | traders. |
| marked an important milestone in what is a rapidly | | | | But there is hope. Production costs in China are rising. |
| strengthening relationship between China and the | | | | Land and labor are all increasingly expensive. The |
| Middle East. | | | | Chinese currency is also appreciating in value. Nearly |
| But it is not Arab-style Wal-Marts who are responsible | | | | 10,000 factories have closed down in the southern |
| for the flood of "made-in-China" imports. It is instead | | | | Guangdong province, neighboring Hong Kong, during |
| individual Arab traders. Many of the traders can be | | | | the past year. More factories will close as the |
| found in Yiwu, a small Chinese city four-hours south of | | | | government is no longer willing to prop up low-value |
| Shanghai. The city claims the world's largest wholesale | | | | added manufacturers. |
| consumer goods market selling the type of cheap gifts | | | | Syria will never replace China. But it only has to |
| and household goods that sell in low-cost retail stores | | | | capture a small share of China's trade with Europe to |
| across the world. | | | | benefit. Consider this. China's exports to Europe have |
| The number of Arab visitors to China surged as a | | | | risen $225bn in the past decade. If Syria had captured |
| result, filling up flights between Dubai and the main | | | | just 1% of this trade it would have added 0.5 |
| Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. | | | | percentage points to the country's GDP growth |
| The economic crisis has only intensified the trend. It's | | | | annually, not to mention reduced chronic unemployment |
| no wonder. The Middle East's imports from | | | | rates. |
| China are still growing, albeit in low single-digit figures, | | | | The upshot is that relations between China and the |
| even as the United States imports from China collapse | | | | Middle East might be flourishing. Yet they are also |
| at near twenty percent rates relative to last year's | | | | delicately poised. The fact China has pushed the |
| levels. And Chinese manufactures are searching for | | | | United States aside as the Middle East's largest |
| new markets in the Middle East as a result. It is just | | | | supplier will rattle doors in Washington. But it is |
| one more sign of the change in demand. | | | | important to look beyond the trade figures to the social |
| There are other signs of the growing strength in trade | | | | and political implications of this increasingly complex |
| relations. Wang Weishang, a local entrepreneur, also | | | | relationship. |
| from the coastal province of Zhejiang, has set up Asia | | | | |