China's relations with the Middle East provide one of the best examples of the use of economic policies for political ends. The primary motive for China's continued interest in the Middle East was to mobilise and encourage the local peoples and governments to resist imperialism, social-imperialism, or both. Economic considerations probably played an extremely marginal role in this interest, if any. Although China has maintained economic relations with the Middle East since the early 1950s, these relations have been uneven and correlated not so much with the fluctuations of the Chinese economy as with those of China's Middle East policy.

China's economic relations in the Middle East have been treated in this study along with, and as part of, the political changes. The purpose of this appendix is to provide a more general picture of these relations with the Middle East and a comparison between these relations and China's economic relations with other groups of developing countries.

Trade

China's trade with the Middle East, apart from its (limited) economic value, had an important dual political function. Trade relations with countries which had not yet recognised the PRC were exploited as sub-diplomatic ties to bypass the question of recognition and at the same time create a favourable atmosphere for it. ‘Under international custom, trade treaties and agreements can be conducted between two states which have not yet established diplomatic relations. Therefore, concluding trade treaties and agreements can lay the groundwork for the establishment of diplomatic relations. China's [diplomatic] relations with Ceylon and Egypt were developed in this way.’