Chinese language Premier Li Qiang met with Saudi Arabia’s de facto chief, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, yesterday in Riyadh, a part of a multiday Gulf journey that additionally consists of conferences with the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, in addition to the VP and PM of the UAE. (Reuters)
Our Take
Li’s go to this week highlights China’s rising ties with the Gulf states, significantly with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a pattern that has accelerated lately, catching the eye of policymakers in the US. Nonetheless, Beijing’s enhanced function within the area means very various things to the completely different events concerned.
For China, increasing relations with the Gulf states performs into Beijing’s broader aim of positioning itself as a champion of the International South. After all, that may be seen economically, in China’s rising investments, collaborations on inexperienced power, oil purchases and commerce with the Gulf states, none of which include the political situations set by the West.
