Dan Drezner chimes in:
'1) China is cozying up to a powerful country on the periphery of the Middle East;2) Because of its religion and periodically bellicose foreign policy, that country that is viewed as an outsider by the Arab Middle East;
3) This country is pursuing internal security policies that would generously be described as "controversial" by the rest of the world;
4) It's Middle East policy can have pronounced effects on China's own domestic politics;
5) All the while, Chinese energy dependence on the region is increasing rapidly.
Welcome to the Middle East, China!!
'
Indeed, although thus far that growing presence has been done on the cheap.