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China, Energy and Geopolitics during the Middle East Crisis
This event is organised in collaboration with the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore.
11th May 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (London, UK time) / 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Singapore time)
Location/Venue: Online on Zoom
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Amid the ongoing armed conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, the Middle East is once again at the centre of global geopolitical transformation. Recent hostilities have disrupted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints—underscoring the fragility of global supply chains and the strategic importance of the region.
This online panel brings together leading experts to examine China’s evolving role in the Middle East in the context of ongoing crisis. How is Beijing navigating regional instability? What are the implications for energy security, great power competition, and the emerging multipolar order? Drawing on expertise in both Asian and Middle Eastern affairs, the discussion will offer timely and multidisciplinary insights into one of the most pressing geopolitical challenges today.
Speakers
Dr Liu Jia | Liu Jia is Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, NUS. Jia earned her PhD in Government and International Affairs from Durham University, where she was honoured to be the H.H. Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Doctoral Fellow. Prior to her doctoral studies, Jia completed a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University and a Master’s in Research Methods (International Relations). Jia has also studied in China, Iran, Jordan, worked in the UAE, and well-travelled across the West Asia/Middle East. She speaks Chinese, English, Farsi, and is learning Arabic. Jia’s research focuses on two major areas: the politics of Persian speaking world and China-West Asia/Middle East relations.
Dr Gad Yishayahu | A scholar and practitioner specializing in Foreign Policy Crisis and crisis management, Dr Yishayahu is presently serving as a Visiting Lecturer at City St George’s, University of London, where he completed his PhD, and a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Reichman University (IDC Herzliya). Dr Yishayahu was previously a Visiting Scholar at the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on contemporary Foreign Policy Crises and their implications on the discipline of crisis management.
Dr. Hongda Fan | Hongda Fan is Visiting Scholar at the Middle East Institute, NUS. He is Professor and Director of the China-Middle East Center at Shaoxing University, China. He previously served at Xiamen University (2004-2020) and Shanghai International Studies University (2020-2025). His research focuses on Middle Eastern affairs, particularly those concerning Iran and Israel. He is skilled in policy analysis. He worked for a year each at the University of California, Berkeley, Tel Aviv University in Israel, and Isfahan University in Iran. He has also conducted ongoing fieldwork in Middle Eastern countries including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Israel, and Iran. He is a recipient of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. He has published four monographs and dozens of research papers. In the media, over two hundred of his articles and more than three hundred interviews have appeared in mainstream media in several countries, including China, USA, UK, Japan, Singapore, Iran and Türkiye.