The Spirit of Silk Road: The Impact of Medieval Chinese–Arab Relations on the Contemporary Bilateral Sino–Arab Relations

Abstract

The nature of the relationship between the Arabs and China in its historical and current dimensions raises the issue of compatibility and coexistence and the possibility of its continuity among nations and cultures. During the fifteenth-century-period, in which Arab–Chinese relations developed, a model of coexistence and harmony between the two civilizations and cultures emerged, which is rare to find in the history of relations between societies and countries. In this chapter, the researchers attempt to return to history to discuss the forms of the development of peaceful relations between China and Arab societies, and the cultural and psychological motives that led to the normalization of political relations in a pattern of mutual respect and peaceful cooperation on many common issues, which still continue to affect positively the relations between China and the Arab world nowadays. The study found that the nature of the eastern mentality of both parties and the positive stereotypes that each side has about the other long time ago have contributed decisively to shaping these relations in the subsequent centuries.

Citation

Ladjal, T. and Brahimi, T. (2019), "The Spirit of Silk Road: The Impact of Medieval Chinese–Arab Relations on the Contemporary Bilateral Sino–Arab Relations", The New Silk Road Leads through the Arab Peninsula: Mastering Global Business and Innovation, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 15-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-679-820191002