The Chinese shift from Iran to the Gulf

China decided to approach Saudi Arabia as an alternator for buying oil

China decided to approach Saudi Arabia as an alternator for buying oil

News Time

Some enthusiastic tweets have lost their way after relying on fake information. This fake news is, as usual, made up and circulated by certain groups to direct or deviate social media discussions. One tweet said: ’’The Chinese are coming with their money and forces, and to hell with Trump and Putin.‘‘ It’s true, the Chinese are coming to region and they will add an economic and political value to it; however, Trump and Putin are staying within the necessities of regional balance.

China is not like the US and Russia as it’s not well-known for having an offensive foreign policy and it does not want to be part of wars. China also avoids the policy of axes in our region. Despite this, it’s still a major country whose interests in the region are increasing, primarily in terms of oil. The region is its vital vein and it’s worried about being under the control of regional or international powers or the chaos of hostile non state-actors.

Pragmatic China:

Although China does not have a certain position, it does not mean it doesn’t have a role. It has a major presence as an economic power and it seeks to protect its interests without weapons, like in Pakistan and Afghanistan. China’s policy is also pragmatic; during the US dispute with Iran, Beijing did not support Washington, did not give up on the nuclear deal and refused to boycott Iran but at the same time it decided to give up on Iran as a major source for its oil purchases and to head towards Saudi Arabia as an alternative. This will be a painful blow to Tehran.

News that China will invest $0.5 trillion in two Kuwaiti islands is just lies spread on social media networks. This amount is not only irrational, for those who understand the language of numbers, but China has actually only allocated $20 billion to invest in more than five countries in the region.

The second lie is that China intends to protect its interests but the truth is that it rejects to militarily get involved and only sends fishing and cargo ships. The $0.5 trillion is an amount allocated by Beijing inside the country. What’s more important for us is that China is heading towards us in steady steps to enhance cooperation thus improving opportunities and increasing our options.

The strategic rapprochement is not a coincidence but the results of which politicians have worked on with China. Saudi King Salman’s visit to China last years was a significant step in which comprehensive cooperation agreements were signed. And now, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s will make his first visit to the UAE after his re-election, and the UAE has warmly welcomed the upcoming visit. Before that, Beijing warmly welcomed Kuwait’s Emir when he visited it last week.

Economy is the Gulf’s power and the road to China’s heart and mind. It’s a partnership without other commitments. We are not concerned much with how the Iranians look at this rapprochement. China is now heading towards Saudi Arabia and the Gulf and giving up on Iran’s oil which was its first source. This angers Tehran and forces it to read developments with a different logic as it’s now economically suffocated, militarily defeated in the region and a political outcast. Iran cannot expect everyone to bow down to it, while it’s practicing the policy of bullying and destruction. This supports Trump’s statements, which are now meaningful, when he mocked the Iranian command’s defiance and said it will make concessions. We can thus view China as an important partner after giving up on Iran’s oil and heading towards the Gulf’s oil. Increasing business dealings with China harmonizes with the countries significant and international Belt and Road Initiative.

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