China’s President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Gulf states this month was accompanied by much fanfare and another example – if such was needed – of Beijing’s desire to challenge Washington’s pre-eminence as the security guarantor and major economic partner in the region.
The United States’ refocus away from the Middle East after two decades of military operations, and the antipathy between Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Biden administration over the assassination and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, has presented Beijing an opportunity. China presents itself as a non-judgmental partner with an enormous domestic demand for Gulf energy resources.
