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 for their insight into China’s foreign policy decisions. China in the Middle East is a six-part miniseries that is part of our regular series podcast, Babel: Translating the Middle East. We release new episodes every Tuesday. Jon Alterman and John W. Garver, The Vital Triangle: China, the United States, and the Middle East, CSIS, May 20, 2008. Dean Cheng, “What defines the Chinese outward cyber-posture?” ISPI, October 26, 2018. Sulmaan Khan, Haunted by Chaos: China's Grand Strategy from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping, Harvard University Press, 2018. Evan Medeiros, China’s International Behavior: Activism, Opportunism, and Diversification, RAND Corporation, 2009. Douglas H. Paal, “Will Xi Jinping’s Charm Offensive Win Over China’s Wary Neighbors,” South China Morning Post, December 11, 2017.