Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, yesterday in Riyadh, part of a multiday Gulf trip that also includes meetings with the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, as well as the VP and PM of the UAE. (Reuters)
Our Take
Li’s visit this week highlights China’s growing ties with the Gulf states, particularly with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a trend that has accelerated in recent years, catching the attention of policymakers in the United States. Still, Beijing’s enhanced role in the region means very different things to the different parties involved.
For China, expanding relations with the Gulf states plays into Beijing’s broader goal of positioning itself as a champion of the Global South. Of course, that can be seen economically, in China’s growing investments, collaborations on green energy, oil purchases and trade with the Gulf states, none of which come with the political conditions set by the West.