![]() In addition, Beijing has also expanded its investment ventures in the Middle East through its poster child, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has become a vital tool of Chinese foreign policy. At the same time, a free trade agreement (FTA) with GCC members has been high on the list of China’s diplomatic agenda. Additionally, China is now Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s largest non-oil trading partner globally, and the UAE remained China’s second-largest trading partner. In the economic domain, China increased its trade with the region and, in 2020, replaced the European Union as the GCC’s largest trading partner with bilateral trade. The increasing involvement of China in the Middle East is a significant factor shaping the region’s geopolitical landscape and has substantial implications for global politics, and is evidence that China’s economic and political interests have expanded globally under its efforts to secure access to vital resources and markets in the Middle East. In 2022, China held its first China-Arab States Summit and its first China-GCC Summit, showcasing its commitment to fostering strategic partnerships in the region and promoting economic development beyond its traditional energy interests. Recent diplomatic initiatives by China demonstrate Beijing’s deep investment in continuing to develop relations with countries in the Middle East. Meanwhile, its 2016 Arab paper policy has been a roadmap to the country’s regional interests and policies. China established closer relationships with various regional organizations over the past two decades, including the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Strategic Dialogue in 2010 and, even earlier, the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) in 2004. In fact, China has signed strategic partnerships and memoranda of understanding for its economic activities with most Middle Eastern countries. China’s interests in the region extend beyond traditional energy sources and encompass economic, geopolitical, and strategic considerations. While the Indo-Pacific has become a focal point of the United States’ overseas strategy and diplomacy in recent years, China has emerged as a significant player in the Middle East, reshaping regional security dynamics through increased involvement. ![]() However, China’s increasing engagement poses a threat to US interests in the region and its relationships with traditional allies. The country’s “non-interventionist” approach is appealing to Middle Eastern states, which view their growing ties with Beijing as a means of diversification. China’s involvement in the Middle East has reshaped the region’s landscape, expanding beyond traditional energy sources to encompass economic, geopolitical, and strategic considerations.
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