logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
42m 32s

Rethinking Democracy Ep. 4: China's Grow...

Middle East Institute
About this episode

About the series: This is a critical year for the future of democracy. Half the world’s population will go to the polls in 2024, at a time when citizens in America and across the globe are losing faith in democratic institutions. We often view the rollback of democracy and threats to the liberal international order as separate problems, but in reality they are closely interlinked. Through a new limited podcast series, MEI’s Gonul Tol seeks to examine the interplay between democracy’s domestic and international foes as well as how to counter them.  

In this episode: China has made significant inroads in the Middle East through diplomacy, trade, investment, and infrastructure projects. Beijing advertises the benefits of its authoritarian development model and presents itself as a responsible alternative to the United States. What does this mean for MENA autocracies?

Dr. F. Gregory Gause and Dr. Jon Alterman join Gonul Tol to discuss China’s growing presence in the Middle East.

Up next
Jun 12
Lebanon at a Crossroads: Sovereignty, Hizballah's Disarmament, and the Road to Reform
MEI Senior Fellow Paul Salem joins the program to assess Lebanon’s rapidly shifting political landscape. With a new president and government promising to enact reforms and reassert sovereignty, Lebanon faces a daunting agenda: disarming Hizballah, rebuilding institutions, navigat ... Show More
37 m
May 29
Syria Looks to a Future Unburdened from US Sanctions
MEI Senior Fellow Charles Lister joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss the Trump administration’s dramatic reversal of four decades of US policy toward Syria. Following President Trump’s May 2025 meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the issuance o ... Show More
46m 52s
May 22
AI, Tech, and the Future of US-Gulf Relations
Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj speak with MEI Senior Fellow Mohammed Soliman about President Donald Trump’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, which yielded a wave of major US-Gulf tech and AI deals. Soliman explains how these partnerships mark a shift in ... Show More
38m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2
China Accuses U.S. of Undermining Trade Truce
A.M. Edition for June 2. Beijing points to recent export controls on AI chips and a crackdown on student visas in contending the U.S. broke a tariff reprieve between the two countries. Plus, Poland elects a conservative leader with ties to President Trump, breaking a streak of vi ... Show More
13m 48s
Oct 2024
The New Cold Wars: A Conversation with David Sanger
In this bonus episode, Jane Perlez sits down with New York Times national security and White House correspondent David Sanger. In this candid conversation, they talk about his new bestseller: New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the Wes ... Show More
53m 21s
Mar 2024
The Truth with Lisa Boothe: Blood Money with Peter Schweizer
In this episode, Peter Schweizer discusses his new book 'Blood Money' and the reasons why politicians turn a blind eye to China's actions. He highlights the financial and relational compromises that lead politicians to ignore China's harmful activities. Schweizer exposes the deep ... Show More
29m 58s
Jan 2020
China in the Middle East: Part One
In the first episode of our new podcast miniseries, China in the Middle East, Jon Alterman gives an overview of Chinese policy in the Middle East and how the Middle East fits into China’s worldview. Jon also sits down with Doug Paal, Dean Cheng, Sulmaan Khan, and Evan Medeiros fo ... Show More
21m 38s
Jun 2024
Unpacking Influence: China's Impact on US Strategy in the Middle East
In this episode of China-MENA, titled "China's Challenging Role in US Policy in MENA," join our host Jonathan Fulton featuring Dana Stroul, director of research and senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, as they explore China's evolving role and its impac ... Show More
42m 40s
Oct 2024
US troops to Israel, campaign promises and Switzerland’s melting glaciers
The United States is to send troops to Israel along with an advanced anti-missile system, in a highly unusual deployment meant to bolster the country's air defenses following missile attacks by Iran. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris scramble to lay out policy promises as the US ele ... Show More
12m 51s
Feb 2024
Season 3, Episode 4: Dr. David Daokui Li, China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict
Join Professor Jeffrey Sachs and economist David Daokui Li as they discuss Professor Li’s brilliant new book, China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict. Listen in as Professor Li explains the deep nature of Chinese politics and economics – based on Ch ... Show More
38m 4s
Apr 18
Holiday special: Driving toward a trade war with China
​This week, EU Confidential is on a spring break — but with trade tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the world (China in particular) escalating, we thought it was the perfect moment to revisit a timely episode from our archives. As Trump’s new trade war heats up, with trip ... Show More
31m 33s
Mar 2025
China Has Been Building Influence for Years. How Will Trump Respond?
While China has spent the past 12 years growing its friend circle through its $1 trillion Belt and Road infrastructure program, the U.S. has struggled to come up with a comprehensive response. Could President Trump’s more aggressive approach to diplomacy mean Beijing will meet gr ... Show More
21m 28s