China In The Middle East!

Hira Fatima

From the past many years, especially after the Arab Spring, China’s role in Middle Eastern politics and economy has been growing. It seems that China is trying to maintain a balancing act in the Middle East with all sides. By expanding BRI projects to be a mediator in Saudi-Iran rapprochement, China has become more involved in this region. Even if it becomes threatening for the U.S or the West over time.

China’s BRI, trade, and mediation efforts enhance its influence across Middle Eastern economies and politics.

Initially seen as non-threatening, even though they did not give that much importance to China’s role in this region, but now it is threatening to them. Because China is involved in each and every matter, like in the economy, politics, and technological advancements. But the main thing is that from this involvement and projects, the Middle East becomes dependent on China, which is threatening.

Firstly, in the economy, China has too much in terms of trade and BRI projects. Its trade with six members of the GCC bloc has drastically surged, increasing from $10billion in 2000 to more than $230 billion in 2021. Also, trade between China and Israel reached a record of $21 billion in 2022. Chinese firms have been engaged in about 500 investment deals with Israel over the past decade. Moreover, China has been interested and involved in Middle Eastern politics and conflicts since the Biden administration.

In February 2024, when China’s representation in the International Court of Justice asserted Palestinians’ right to self-determination, including the use of armed struggle, it led to China’s support of Israel. Also, China plays a role as a mediator in the Saudi-Iran reapproachement. The peace agreement between Saudi-Iran, signed in Beijing in March 2023 which highlights China’s emerging role in reconciliation. China is diversifying its cooperation throughout the Middle East Gulf states’ perspectives on the emergence of China’s technological power house, especially its digital Silk Road is very positive. This highlights the collaboration in artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and space exploration.

Moreover, China is making progress in the Middle Eastern market for defense equipment. The U.S refused to sell its last weapon-carrying drones to some countries due to conflicts as the war in Yemen, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia turned to China for alternatives. Also, one of the main and important projects of China is MENA, which empowers China in the Middle East and MENA states view China as an alternative great power.

Gulf states benefit from Chinese technology, defense, and investment but risk overdependence and debt traps.

These economic, political, and technological factors show the positive role of China in the Middle East, and it reduces the influence of the United States, which is very alarming for the Western bloc. But is china growing role middle east is win-win situation for both sides: – there are some of the risks for middle east by this cooperation and all these .the first and main thing is security because china focuses less on security and middle east security is U.S centric but with decreasing role of united states effect the security of middle east which will be the biggest threat for the region.

Then comes the economy, it is known that China made projects in the Middle East through BRI and made cooperation’s but if they truly depend on China and reduce trade and projects with the U.S so it will be a debt trap for them from China. So they mustn’t fully depend on China. The other main point and risk for the Middle East is that China and the US are in a rivalry with each other, so Middle Eastern states can’t cooperate with both, and shifting from one superpower to another is alarming as well. So there is a chance that the Middle East became ground for their rivalries, and they could be bound to make alliances with one power and in rivalry with the other.

U.S.-China rivalry could make the Middle East a contested arena, undermining regional stability.

To conclude, the role of China in the Middle East is beneficial in many sectors, but at the same time, it has trapped the Middle East in a big coming war. So, there is a need for these states to make a strategy according to the situation.

The author is a student of international relations at National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad. Her area of interest is Middle East politics.