POLITICAL ISSUES
YEMEN
1) China welcomes ceasefire in Yemen
Beijing, Monday, 11 May 2015
Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that China welcomed the decision of a five-day ceasefire by relevant parties to allow delivery of aid in Yemen.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

ECONOMIC ISSUES
ALGERIA
2) Algeria to rely on China firm to build most challenging mega highway project
Algiers, Friday, 8 May 2015
Algeria has given the contract to link its north and south with a super highway to China's State-run Construction and Engineering Company (CSCEC).
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

EGYPT
3) Chinese shipping company looks forward to new Suez Canal
Suez, Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Liner Manager of China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) Qin Haipin said that the opening of Egypt's new Suez Canal would enhance world trade as it will save both time and money.
Source: Xinhua, Beijing

ISRAEL
4) M&A activity in Israel shifts beyond high tech
Beijing, Friday, 15 May 2015
China's Bright Food company bought Tnuva, an Israeli company for US$1.1 billion to boost its dairy output in Israel.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

5) High-tech Israeli companies call Changzhou home
Beijing, Monday, 18 May 2015    
Around 15 Israeli companies specializing in high-end medical equipment, electronics industry and financial services have invested in China-Israel Innovation Park located in Changzhou in East China's Jiangsu province.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

6) Port project marks new achievement in China-Israel infrastructure co-op
Tel Aviv, Friday, 29 May 2015
Israeli Transport and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz said that Israeli port authorities signed a deal with Shanghai International Port (Group) Ltd. to run a new port in northern Israel for 25 years.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

TURKEY
7) China's banking giant takes over Turkish lender
Istanbul, Tuesday, 26 May 2015
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (ICBC) said that it has completed the acquisition of 75.5 percent stake in Tekstilbank from Turkish GSD Holding, making it the first business institution operated by a Chinese bank in the country.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

UAE
8) China, UAE oil firms sign US$330m worth oilfield development project
Abu Dhabi, Monday, 18 May 2015
China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC) signed a contract worth US$330 million with Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) to develop the Southern Mender oilfield in UAE. This will help boost daily crude production from 1.4 million to 1.8 million barrels by 2017.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

MULTILATERAL ISSUES
JORDAN
9) Jordan officially joins China-proposed AIIB
Amman, Monday, 11 May 2015
Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury said that Jordan has become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

LEBANON
10) Lebanon expects Belt and Road Initiative to enhance Arab-China ties
Beirut, Friday, 22 May 2015
Former Lebanese Minister of Economy and former President of the International Chamber of Commerce Adnan Kassar said that the "Belt and Road" initiative will enhance China's strategic relations with the Arab world.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

11) Lebanon aims at playing key role in China's Belt and Road Initiative
Beirut, Wednesday, 27 May 2015
Lebanon's Prime Minister Tammam Salam said that Lebanon aims to play a key role in the "Belt and Road' initiative due to its special geographical position.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

OPEC
12) OPEC turn down Chinese requests for extra oil
Beijing, Thursday, 21 May 2015
Saudi Arabia and its main Middle East OPEC partners have turned down Chinese requests for extra oil as they held back fuel for their own refineries.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
ISRAEL
13) Chinese diplomat honoured for saving thousands of Jews
Beijing, Saturday, 30 May 2015
A bronze plaque was unveiled in Vienna to commemorate the heroism of Feng Shan Ho who was the Chinese consul general to Vienna from 1938 to 1940. He was one of the foreign diplomats who saved several Jews during the Holocaust.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

LEBANON
14) Chinese troops leave for peacekeeping mission in Lebanon
Kunming, Tuesday, 19 May 2015
A Chinese team of 85 soldiers left for an eight-month long peacekeeping mission in Lebanon which would clear mines, construct roads, provide humanitarian aid and help mark a temporary Lebanon-Israel border.
Source: China Daily, Beijing

COMPILED BY DIPANWITA CHAKRAVORTTY

Dipanwita Chakravortty is a doctoral candidate in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy