China is seizing an opportunity in the Middle East to improve its energy security and global influence, with Iraq a particular beneficiary. This push has its risks, though, and Beijing’s neutrality will face challenges in a region fraught with long-standing rivalries and competing interests.
China finds itself in need of its latest landmark reform as the urban-rural divide keeps growing and the broader economy is seeking new sources of growth. One possible solution is finding better uses for rural land and giving farmers the same legal rights as urban residents to rent, transfer or mortgage their land.