A month after the Chinese Community Party Congress and amid power vacuums appearing in the wake of the Trump administration’s neo-isolationism, James Moran enumerates the stakes of China in the Middle East and North Africa. He argues that, given China’s growing role in the complex security dynamics in the MENA region, the EU should intensify its dialogue and, where interests coincide, joint action with Beijing. This strengthened dialogue should build upon the already fruitful cooperation on counter-piracy in the context of the EU-led Atalanta mission, whose mandate is being discussed this month.