The Dynamics of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Chinese Aspiration in the Arabian Gulf

Download or read book The Dynamics of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Chinese Aspiration in the Arabian Gulf written by Jasim Ali Eissa Alzaabi and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The GCC countries enjoy deep relations with the west [sic] ,while recently increasingly engaged with China. However, the region could be affected by Sino-American competition as the economic and strategic interests of external powers come into play at a time. Therefore, this confluence will affect the political, economic, and security environment of the Arabian Gulf at both the international and regional levels. China is one of the key participants in the competition for influence in the Arabic Gulf region, that consider as the richest in oil and gas.The bilateral cooperation between China and GCC states has witnessed a remarkable development in recent years, spanning a wide range of interests. This led to delivering the following research questions: What is the dynamic of GCC - CHINA relations? How can the GCC countries play a vital role in the Chinese belt and road initiative (BRI)? How does a geostrategic competition in the Indo-Pacific -BRI will influence the Arabic Gulf region's political, economic, and security? Sino-Gulf relations began in the 1970s and flourished after the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981, where the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic relations with China in 1984, followed by Qatar in 1988, Bahrain in 1989 and Saudi Arabia in 1990. In fact, Saudi Arabia established diplomatic and commercial relations with China in 1939. This relation were short-lived because of the Communist Party's domination of power in China, where the relations between the two countries ceased in 1949 and resumed again in 1990. At present, China is the main investor and business partner of several GCC States, where several agreements have been signed with GCC in concerned of political, economic and security perspectives. Therefore, their bilateral relations are on the rise and interest in trade, technology, and investment cooperation, as well as explore GCC markets. China seeks to revive the Silk road, a trade route that runs through 56 countries and builds a bridge between the three continents. Moreover, the Arabian Gulf is one of the most important areas to execute the Belt and Road Iniative (BRI), although it is not on the official map of the initiative. Government and private companies such as banks and financial institutions have also begun efforts to boost the initiative's position in the Arabian Gulf, especially in the oil sector, while China's energy needs are expected to rise to 14.2 million barrels per day (bpd). The GCC countries could find the opportunity to join a new wave of globalization and explore the new global marketplaces through Belt and Road initiative, because of their status as major energy suppliers. furthermore, [sic] the BRI will encourage GCC to diversify their economic structures and reduce oil dependency as the main source of their economy's prosperity. China has not indicated its desire for a military presence in the Arabic Gulf region as a challenge to US military power, but with its growing regional interests along with the ambitions of the Belt and Road Initiative, makes the stability of the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf region in particularly, a strategic concern for China. The GCC countries recognize the importance of Asia by adopting "Look East" policy in recrystallizing its external relations towards the East as a preferred partner, in particular after 9/11, as well as economic factors. In fact, the repercussions of the 9/11 attacks still plague the political landscape between the GCC and the West. However, the GCC foreign policy has created a regional and international balance, seeking through it to resolve disputes by peaceful means and employ all diplomatic, economic and human capabilities to achieve its national goals. This study aims to understand the nature of the development of Sino-GCC bilateral relations and both party aspirations to achieve their interests, considering regional and international changes.