Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates has worked proactively to embrace Russian business while hoping to evade pressure from the U.S. and its allies. Despite narratives of the UAE and Saudi Arabia drifting from the U.S. orbit, the Gulf states continue to recognize their dependency on U.S. security ties.
Last week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order restricting U.S. companies’ ability to invest in a range of cutting-edge technology sectors in China. Biden has also maintained tariffs imposed on China by former President Donald Trump. That raises a fundamental question: Why is the U.S. imposing trade restrictions on China?
Since the launch of the “great power competition” framework, U.S. policymakers seem to have moved on entirely from the war on terror, focusing instead on countering China and Russia. But as the U.S. military’s significant presence in Niger demonstrates, it would be a mistake to consider the war on terror as solely in the past.
