Opinion | China charms countries in the Middle East
By Augustus K. Yeung
Introduction
In the post-American world, China is pushing for a bigger role in the Middle East by promising to work more closely with the region's stressed-out and war-torn players respectively, Iran and Afghanistan, forming a constructive CIA (China, Iran, Afghanistan) and assisted by Pakistan, a reliable "informant" -- for regional stability and peace.
The purpose is not to subvert nations (unlike what the loathsome American CIA has been doing), but to resolve disputes, to ensure stability in the region, and to help Iran cope with the pressures that the Trump regime had cooked up over the issue of uranium production, and to assist Afghanistan to address the pressing humanitarian concerns as Washington abandons its Afghan friends and freezes the country's financial resources.
However, China and the Middle Eastern nations face a rising security challenge as the hegemonic U.S. shifted its strategic focus to the Asia Pacific—a move that may set fire on China's backyard Taiwan, and a zealously guarded province. And China may be forced by unexpected and uncertain circumstances to be "burning candle at both ends".
China has made it known to the world that "it is pushing for a bigger role in the Middle East by promising to work more closely with the region's main players to resolve disputes and ensure stability, as the United States beats a hasty retreat from Afghanistan and remains in a deadlock with Iran," according to the Post.
Walking from a Virtual Forum into the Real Arab World
In a recent virtual forum, Zhai Jun, China's special envoy for Middle East affairs reinforced the pledge that China was "closely concerned with developments in the region."
His remarks, to a virtual forum attended by academics and former officials from the region, highlighted "China's recent engagement in the Middle East, including two visits this year by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who promised to support the sovereignty of countries facing serious conflict, rejecting foreign interference, as well as cooperation in fighting the pandemic."
Zhai said Wang's visit—along with proposals on stability in Syria, the Palestinian-Israel dispute, Iran's nuclear deal and Middle East peace—reflected "Beijing's willingness to defend international justice and resolve conflicts and disputes to contribute Chinese wisdom to the search for long term stability in the region."
The Creative Concept of "Collective Security Mechanism"
Introducing Wang Yi's concept, Zhai said China would work with Middle Eastern nations to build a "collective security mechanism". "In the future, China is willing to work together with countries in the Middle East in deepening anti-pandemic cooperation…safeguarding fairness and justice, building collective security and building a higher level of partnership," the envoy said.
A matter of fact: China is one of the few countries to maintain good relations with Arab countries and Israel and Iran. For example, Beijing has said the territorial sovereignty of Syria should be respected, and it has opposed any attempt to promote regime change in the war-torn country.
China's Engagement & Investment in the Middle East
In recent months, China has stepped up its engagement, offering to help Middle Eastern nations battle the pandemic, and pushing for talks on a free-trade deal between Beijing and the Gulf Cooperation Council. As for Iran, China has pledged to strengthen ties with Tehran and oppose sanctions.
China is now the Arab states' largest trading partners, reaching nearly US$24 billion in bilateral trade last year. The region is also the biggest source for China's crude oil imports.
There has also been growing investment in the Belt and Road Initiative, which promotes infrastructure connectivity (but it seen by critics as part of Beijing's efforts to expand its global clout.)
China's Presence in the Middle East is Not Entirely Safe
China and the Middle Eastern nations face a rising security challenge as the US had shifted its strategic focus to the Asia Pacific, Sun Degang, Middle East affairs expert at Fudan University, said, "This is likely to result in power vacuum and security deficiencies that pose a threat to the security of Chinese personnel and investments in the region".
Therefore, China was seeking "face-to-face" coordination with Middle Eastern countries to prevent the possible upgrade of risks, Sun said.
"China is seeking another approach—that is to engage in consultations through multilateral platforms, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to promote regional stability, rather than the US approach of diving the region into friends and enemies." Sun said.
The concept of collective security, introduced by Wang Yi, China's foreign minister, was a new mechanism aimed at reducing the risks of turmoil in the region, where China's interests were expanding, according to Li Guofu, a Middle East affairs expert at the China Institute of International Studies.
Conclusion
China's Middle Eastern charm offensive continued on Tuesday with the announcement it would host the fifth China-Arab State Expo in August in the northwestern city of Yinchuan in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, home to a large Muslim population, according to the Post.
The Arab world must appreciate and get to know that China's courtship of the Arab countries is based on harmony as opposed to the stance of the United States, which subscribes to hegemony.
(Source: "As US turns inward, China looks to expand its role in the Middle East." South China Morning Post, August 19, 2021.)
The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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