China looks to strengthen Arab ties as US pivots from Middle East

Foreign ministry releases ‘cooperation’ report ahead of expected trip to China-Arab Summit by Xi Jinping
Report denies China seeks ‘geopolitical self-interest’ in Middle East, aims to ‘uphold justice’ in regional hotspots

US-China relations

Liu Zhen

Published: 6:00am, 3 Dec 2022

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Beijing has said it will not seek geopolitical self-interest in the Middle East, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected trip to the China-Arab Summit next week in Saudi Arabia.

In an official document entitled “Report on Sino-Arab Cooperation in a New Era”, China’s foreign ministry stated the principles of China’s policies towards the region.

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The report denied there would be any power vacuum left by the United States that China would like to fill, and reiterated Beijing’s stances on conflict zones, including Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Sudan.

China would only support regional countries to work in solidarity to resolve regional security issues and support local people to explore their own development path independently and autonomously, according to the report released on Thursday.

“China has always believed that there is no such thing as a ‘power vacuum’ in the Middle East and that the people of the Middle East are the masters of the future and destiny of the region,” it said.

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“China has always played a constructive role in the region and never seeks any geopolitical self-interest.”

The report comes as the United States pivots its strategic focus away from the Middle East and amid tensions between Washington and Riyadh. The China-Arab Summit is set to begin on December 9.

In return, Arab countries had supported China’s issues of concerns, especially regarding Muslim minorities’ human rights in Xinjiang, the report said.

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While the report highlighted that China’s strategic focus remained on trade and economic cooperation, it also said China had “upheld justice” on Middle East security issues. It said China supported fair and reasonable resolutions through dialogue and consultation.

“China will strengthen communication and coordination with Arab countries to jointly promote political solutions to those issues,” it said.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative has been active in the Arab world with more than 200 major energy and infrastructure development projects under way.

The report said agriculture, investment and financing, and hi-tech industries were key sectors for future China-Arab cooperation.

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According to the report, China and Arab countries would support each other’s counterterrorism and deradicalisation efforts, and crackdown on terrorist groups listed by the United Nations.

China opposed Islamophobia or linking terrorism with specific ethnic groups and religions, it said.

The China-Arab Summit is also an opportunity to work with Arab countries on climate change and cybersecurity, and to provide peacekeeping training to them while continuing to take part in UN peacekeeping operations in the region.