Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, yesterday in Riyadh, part of a multiday Gulf trip that also includes meetings with the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, as well as the VP and PM of the UAE. (Reuters)
Li’s visit this week highlights China’s growing ties with the Gulf states, particularly with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a trend that has accelerated in recent years, catching the attention of policymakers in the United States. Still, Beijing’s enhanced role in the region means very different things to the different parties involved.
For China, expanding relations with the Gulf states plays into Beijing’s broader goal of positioning itself as a champion of the Global South. Of course, that can be seen economically, in China’s growing investments, collaborations on green energy, oil purchases and trade with the Gulf states, none of which come with the political conditions set by the West.
But it can also be seen diplomatically, especially in the past two years, most notably when Beijing mediated a deal for Saudi Arabia and Iran to reestablish diplomatic ties last year. To be sure, Beijing’s efforts so far have been more symbolic than substantive, but they still project an image of China as a diplomatic heavyweight.
For Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both of which have traditionally been close partners of the United States, deepening relations with China underscores the two countries’ efforts to diversify their diplomatic portfolios. That’s a reflection of a broader trend among the Gulf states, and indeed among many Global South countries, to take advantage of U.S.-China competition to maximize the benefits of dealing with both sides, rather than aligning exclusively with one or the other.
In this case, while Riyadh and Abu Dhabi may see plenty of opportunity in expanding economic ties with Beijing, there are also limits to any partnership with China, particularly when it comes to security. There are also clear constraints even on the economic side of the relationship, as evidenced by negotiations for a free trade agreement between China and the GCC. Those talks reportedly stalled because Saudi Arabia remains concerned about an influx of cheap Chinese imports into its market.
Still, Li’s trip this week will only exacerbate fears among U.S. officials over Washington’s diminishing role in the region. China is not remotely close to replacing the U.S. in terms of regional influence, and it’s debatable whether Beijing’s growing profile in the Gulf even comes at Washington’s expense. But the trend does reflect broader shifts in the global order, including the relative decline of U.S. influence. To that extent, this is a reality to which the U.S. will simply have to adjust.
