Shanghai Institute for International Studies Visit to ORSAM

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On 17 March 2015, a four-member delegation from Shanghai Institute for International Studies paid a visit to ORSAM. Prof.Ye Qing, Assistant President and Director of Center for West Asia and Africa Studies in SIIS headed to the delegation, which also involved Dr.Zha Xiaogang, Research Fellow in SIIS Institute of World Economy; Dr.Zhang Weiting, Research Fellow in SIIS Center for West Asia and Africa Studies; and Mr. Du Xudong, Third Secretary in P.R.China Foreign Ministry. Host delegation consisted of Assoc. Prof. Şaban Kardaş, president of ORSAM, Assoc. Prof. Haldun Yalçınkaya, Director of ORSAM Security Studies, Assit. Prof. Bayram Sinkaya, ORSAM Advisor, Bilgay Duman, ORSAM assistant researchers Nebahat Tanrıverdi Yaşar and Firuze Yağmur Gökler.

The meeting began with Dr. Ye Qing’s opening speech about SIIS activities. In the meeting, Qing stressed generally China’s approach on the current issues in the Middle East. Despite all the critics arguing that China is overshadowed by Russia in the region and has not produced independent policies; Qing said that China’s foreign policy towards Syrian crisis is based on the principle of ‘non-intervention’. In addition, among Chinese decision-makers and public opinion, there is a consensus that China’s position in Syria prevents a chaos, like in Libya, in the country. Accordingly, Qing stated that China’s position in Syria differs from Russia; China’s priority in Syria is to restore the ability to sustain political order. However, Qing said that China has some issues on public diplomacy, hence suffers from insufficient self-expression. He, further, mentioned that China’s primary aims are to develop independent diplomatic discourses on the Middle Eastern issues; and deepen the bilateral relations with Turkey, which also gave an opportunity for Turkey to balance the West.

Following Qing speech, Assoc. Prof. Şaban Kardaş made a presentation about ORSAM and its activities. Then, Kardaş, who underlined the general situation in the region, mentioned that the Middle East countries have been experiencing a mismanaged transformation since the Arab Spring; and hence, this mismanagement have produced regional security issues, instability and uncertainty. He then stated that regional actors take a leading role in the regional developments, which were not only foreign policy issues but also domestic issues. Kardaş also expressed that there are six drivers of transformation: borders open to question; weakening of sovereignty of states; the rise of non-states actors; overlapped underdevelopment issues; lack of conflict resolution mechanisms; and shift in US’s role in security sustaining. Kardaş stressed that Turkey responds these dynamics and changes but is also a part of this transformation. The meeting ended with question and answer session.