China's foreign policy has been implemented in the Middle East, as elsewhere, by many organisations and agencies. These include Friendship Associations; the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs; the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; the CCP International Liaison Department; the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of National Defence; the New China News Agency; and so on. As implied by their names, each of these organisations has a separate and specific function in China's foreign relations system. However, the main burden falls naturally on China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The purpose of this Appendix is to supplement background information on the departments and officials connected with China's Middle East policy, some of whom have already been discussed in this study. The additional information reaffirms the remarkable degree of flexibility of the Foreign Ministry and its adaptability, in terms of both structure and personal qualifications, to the changes in China's world outlook and Middle Eastern policy.

The data were assembled from scattered references in China's press and NCNA reports, as well as from biographical compilations which complemented one another.

Note. In this Appendix PE refers to previous experience and LE to later experience.