Chris Zambelis is a Senior Analyst specializing in Middle East affairs with Helios Global, Inc., a risk management group based in the Washington, D.C., area. His primary research interests include geopolitics, domestic politics, security, economics and energy issues relevant to the broader Middle East, including Middle East-Asia relations. His work supports a wide range of clients in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Mr. Zambelis is also a regular contributor to numerous publications. He holds a B.A. degree in Politics and History from New York University and an M.S. in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University.
China’s Iraq Oil Strategy Comes Into Sharper Focus
“…Despite the inherent risks in dealing with complex and unstable markets such as Iraq, Chinese investors have been gaining a foothold in the country’s energy sector and in doing so have begun to face a unique set of challenges. In addition to having to navigate a tumultuous political and security environment, China is engaging a country that for a long period of time remained effectively under U.S. military occupation even as the central Iraqi government operated under a framework of limited sovereignty …
Beneath the din and clamor of political clashes and violent street protests, Egypt has been quietly turning to Asia in the form of a flurry of diplomatic activity. In addition to having far-reaching ramifications for Egyptian politics and society, the political ascendancy of the Muslim Brotherhood has also raised important questions regarding the evolution of Egyptian foreign policy.
