همایش آروین البرز HLJR 2 3 2026 05 18 The competition of emerging powers (China and Russia) in the Middle East: Threat or opportunity for regional stability The competition of emerging powers (China and Russia) in the Middle East: Threat or opportunity for regional stability 249 257 10.22051/jera.2021.31891.2698 FA Somayeh Master of Political Science, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch 2026 05 18 The shifting geometry of the global order has catalyzed a profound geopolitical realignment in the Middle East, characterized by the intensified engagement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation. This paper examines whether the increasing structural footprint of these Eurasian powers constitutes a systemic threat to regional stability or a strategic opportunity for multi-vector balancing by Middle Eastern states. Employing a Neorealist theoretical framework, this study utilizes a qualitative analytical methodology to dissect the foreign policy trajectories of Beijing and Moscow. The analysis reveals a distinct bifurcation in strategic execution: while China systematically leverages economic statecraft and infrastructure integration to secure energy corridors and build regional influence, Russia predominantly assumes a disruptive, security-centric posture to counter Western hegemony and project asymmetric power. Consequently, the Sino-Russian presence generates a dual structural effect within the regional subsystem. It inherently destabilizes the pre-existing unipolar security architecture by escalating great-power competition, yet simultaneously furnishes regional middle powers with unprecedented diplomatic flexibility and strategic autonomy. This paper argues that while the transition toward multipolarity mitigates the constraints of hegemonic coercion, the resultant overlapping spheres of Eurasian influence significantly amplify the probability of localized proxy conflicts and systemic miscalculations. The shifting geometry of the global order has catalyzed a profound geopolitical realignment in the Middle East, characterized by the intensified engagement of the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation. This paper examines whether the increasing structural footprint of these Eurasian powers constitutes a systemic threat to regional stability or a strategic opportunity for multi-vector balancing by Middle Eastern states. Employing a Neorealist theoretical framework, this study utilizes a qualitative analytical methodology to dissect the foreign policy trajectories of Beijing and Moscow. The analysis reveals a distinct bifurcation in strategic execution: while China systematically leverages economic statecraft and infrastructure integration to secure energy corridors and build regional influence, Russia predominantly assumes a disruptive, security-centric posture to counter Western hegemony and project asymmetric power. Consequently, the Sino-Russian presence generates a dual structural effect within the regional subsystem. It inherently destabilizes the pre-existing unipolar security architecture by escalating great-power competition, yet simultaneously furnishes regional middle powers with unprecedented diplomatic flexibility and strategic autonomy. This paper argues that while the transition toward multipolarity mitigates the constraints of hegemonic coercion, the resultant overlapping spheres of Eurasian influence significantly amplify the probability of localized proxy conflicts and systemic miscalculations. /downloadfilepdf/18409