You sometimes have to shake a bottle to see what’s inside. In 2006, Israeli warplanes struck at Lebanese infrastructure. Suddenly there were stories of Chinese construction companies packing up and leaving Lebanon, and it was only then did it become obvious how many were operating in the country.
Much the same is true today. The recent unrest in China’s western provinces has underscored the extent of China’s presence in North Africa.
There are 20,000 Chinese nationals in Algeria alone, not to mention Libya and Morocco. Their numbers hadn’t attracted much attention until last week when local extremists threatened to target them with reprisals. The Chinese Embassy in Algeria went so far as to issue a warning to its nationals.
The events underscore an important point about China’s engagement with the Middle East―you won’t always read about it on the front pages of the Financial Times or New York Times. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. And a quick shake of the bottle can produce often unexpected results.
