Robin M. Mills, Columnist

China's Big Play for Middle East Oil

The deals have been plentiful, but now Chinese companies must show they can deliver.

May 10, 2017 at 6:00 AM UTC

By Robin M. Mills

Robin M. Mills is CEO of Qamar Energy and author of "The Myth of the Oil Crisis."

Big thirst.
Photographer: Teh Eng Koon/AFP/Getty Images

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China's Middle East energy footprint has been expanding. In February, it made a deal for a stake in Abu Dhabi’s onshore oil. In March, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz travelled to China to strengthen trade ties, and now a Chinese consortium is lining up for a stake in the Aramco IPO.

Geopolitical trends favor deeper engagement, but Chinese companies need to show they can deliver.