East Asia's Strategic Advantage in the Middle East.

• Author: Nugraha, Salman

By Shirzad Azad

Lexington Books, 2021, 191 Pages, $85.44, ISBN: 9781793644626

In East Asia's Strategic Advantage in the Middle East, Shirzad Azad argues that the arrival of East Asian countries in the Middle East offers the region enormous benefits and rewards "on a silver platter" (p. 1). Azad questions the assumption that the Western countries that arrived earlier in the Middle East will dominate the region permanently. Instead, he posits that the late arrival of East Asians in the Middle East is "more fortunate and privileged" than the West (p. 3) and suggests that the peculiar policies of the West have paved the way for East Asian countries to become more deeply involved in the Middle East (p. 7).

The book is divided into six chapters. The first chapter summarizes the concept of strategic advantage, i.e., that having strategic value will give certain players a competitive advantage that puts them above other players (p. 4). Throughout the following chapters, Azad examines five fields in which East Asian countries possess strategic advantages in the Middle East--politics, military, economy, technology, and culture--and how they should be optimized.

In the political field, Azad first explains the political outcomes of Western involvement that brought authoritarian statism to the region. Consequently, this presents a major strategic advantage for East Asian countries in the political field: the state is the only actor they need to engage in a bilateral political relationship (p. 15). Moreover, the image of Western actors in the region has been severely damaged, as the Western realpolitik 'management' of the Middle East is widely held responsible for the current chaos in the region. Arriving with a "clean past record" (p. 15) and bringing with them a model for successful development at home gives East Asian countries an upper hand in building new strategic partnerships with the Middle East. However, it is necessary to state here that the author overlooks the rise of non-state actors in the Middle East that to some extent undermine the government and change the political dynamics of the region. For instance, how should East Asia engage with terrorist organizations in Syria or Yemen that threaten the state's political structure?

In the military sector, Azad sees the ongoing arms and weaponry transactions between regions as opportunities to improve bilateral relations. Throughout history, one of the main tools of Western conduct in the Middle...