Abu Dhabi

Source: Mufakiru Alemarat

Al-Ittihad Newspaper

Dr.. Ali Mohamed Al Khouri

China, which moved from an emerging market to a superpower, today represents a global economic, technological and military pillar that cannot be ignored, especially with the fading of unipolar geography since the 1990s. According to global estimates, Beijing will continue to grow and increase its share in global GDP – albeit slowly and gradually – in parallel with expectations of a decline in the shares of the United States of America and the European Union in it, at a time when speculation about a new global recession is increasing.

Contrary to what the Western powers planned, China was able to reformulate the geopolitical and economic map in Asia and Africa, all the way to Latin America, through its trade partnerships and the development of its relations with various countries of the world.

Chinese diplomatic moves indicate Beijing’s increased interest in the Middle East and North Africa, the consolidation of its relations with the countries of the region, and its eagerness to get closer to the Gulf and Arab square, with the aim of expanding its sphere of influence to new markets that can absorb its huge production capabilities on the one hand, and on the other hand secure its growing energy needs that it needs. It is threatened by existing international tensions.

China’s growing interest in the Middle East 

The remarkable decline in US policy concerns with the security of the Middle East region, and reducing the risks facing Arab countries, was sufficient to constitute a major impetus for the strategic change that China has pursued, and the door it has chosen to enter through, albeit with caution.

China adopts a policy of soft power that is based on strategic economic partnerships far from politics, through which it was able to enhance its influence as an economic power, and accordingly support its political weight and military presence in the Arab Gulf region, the Middle East and North Africa.

In order to form a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of China’s interest in the Gulf countries, it is necessary to link Beijing’s vision of the Arab region with a historical perspective, as China’s interest in the region goes back hundreds of years, i. And the distinguished geographical location of the Arab countries that controls international shipping lanes that are the economic lifeline of global trade, such as the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Strait of Gibraltar, passing through the Jebel Ali Economic Zone, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman.

If we look at the global economic map of Beijing, we will find that the “New Silk Road” initiative, in which 146 countries participate, aims to accelerate the access of Chinese products to global markets – north and south – crossing and extending along the borders of many Arab countries.

The importance of the Arab region also lies in the security of navigation and maritime transport, especially since international shipping represents 90 percent of Chinese export channels, in addition to the fact that Beijing imports more than half of its oil imports from the countries of the region, while a quarter of its imports of natural gas pass through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

According to published international statistics, the volume of trade exchange between China and the Arab countries increased from about $10 billion in 1990 to more than $330 billion in 2021, and Chinese investments in the Middle East and North Africa are estimated at more than $250 billion in the period between 2005 and 2022.

Hence the mutual strategic importance between both sides, the Arab and the Chinese, and the increasing – with the passage of time – the need of each side for the other at an escalating and clear pace.

Arab countries seek to benefit from the digital revolution 

Arab countries – and the Gulf in particular – are trying to benefit from their relations with China as a new strategic ally alongside their Western allies, as well as to attract and encourage mutual investments in extractive industries, renewable energy, manufacturing, and logistics, especially the development of the technological infrastructure of Arab countries in light of Beijing’s supremacy. remarkable technological support in their economic and social systems. In addition, China’s diplomacy, which is based on respect for national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states, is prompting the Gulf and Arab countries to consolidate their relations with them, and to establish multidimensional partnerships with them that generally contribute to achieving their ambitious national visions, represented in developing their economies and keeping pace with progress. Scientific.

Perhaps the unique approach that the United Arab Emirates follows in building the foundations of its economy based on knowledge and the digital revolution has become a model for the ideal image that the Arab countries want to reach, as these countries believe that cooperation with Beijing – through studied and targeted partnerships – will contribute to achieving leaps and bounds. development in developing its various sectors, and shortening long years of work.

Arab countries and the search for a balance in their relations with the world 

In the past two decades, the Arab states in general, and the Gulf states in particular, have been able to strike a balance in their relations with the countries of the world, and to maintain an influential presence in the global arena, politically, economically, socially, and militarily. Its economic relations and systems in all global markets.

Despite the American reservations, the relations of the Gulf and Arab countries with China are still strong, and they follow a clear approach in maintaining the balance of their international strategic relations, and not entering into cases of hostility with international and global powers.

An accurate reading of the course of events confirms that Beijing will double its interest in the Gulf and Arab countries in the coming decades, and that trade and energy will be influential factors in determining the directions of China’s trade policies with the countries of the region. It is expected that Beijing will have a greater role and presence in the Middle East and North Africa region, especially with the expansion of its markets and investments in the “Belt and Road” initiative.

What the Arab countries need is to benefit from this interest in strengthening their centers of power, achieving common gains, and facing national development challenges. And political through partnerships that depend on achieving its national interests on the one hand, and the security of the entire region on the other.

With the interest of the national agendas of the Gulf countries in digital transformation, international relations – especially with China – must be based on stimulating economic growth, innovation, local production, and strengthening the employment sector, and then these partnerships can be built on solid foundations to support the Gulf and Arab systems that It serves the diversification of their economies, contributes to increasing their gross domestic product, and the knowledge-added value of their manufacturing industries, which may help the Gulf and Arab countries enhance their industrial competitiveness, and shift from consumer economies to programmed and sustainable production economies.