On September 15, 2020, the U.S. For the first time in history, two Gulf states, the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel have seen glimpses of establishing diplomatic ties under the auspices of President Donald Trump. Saudi Arabia and Iran restore diplomatic relations after a period of time. This time it was China, not the US, who stepped into the role of mediator in the Gulf. Watch the video..
West Asia, which includes Arab countries, is considered a strategic area for military and security reasons. America has been influential since the 1970s when the Gulf states entered the world map. The US has become a dominant influence in the Gulf region under Trump. But with the arrival of Biden, the situation changed. It is to that status that China is strategically trying to assert its influence. It can be said that it was Biden’s hatred of Saudi Arabia that led to it. Relations between the two countries have been significantly affected by Biden’s repeated US report that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in the death of Jamal Khashoggi. If Trump’s interactions with the Saudi regime were through Jared Kushner, who was his son-in-law and adviser, it has become complicated with the arrival of Biden. Saudi Arabia has seen direct evidence of this through its relationship with Iran. U.S. Saudi Arabia is set to restore diplomatic ties with rival Iran. That too in the mediation of China. Literally, America has been sidelined.
In the Gulf region, an outside country becomes an influential power in three ways. One is trade, two..security for the Gulf countries and their rulers, and three is politics, a combination of both. In terms of security, the United States is still the first priority for the six Gulf countries. In the economic field, China has become the largest trading partner of many Gulf countries. There is no situation for another country to assert influence over it. But China’s current diplomatic intervention is a sign that the political situation is changing. There is a doubt that the position of the United States as the first diplomatic partner of the dominant countries in the region, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will be affected. It has to be proven by the circumstances that Biden is the cause.
Overcoming anti-China sentiment in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes India and Australia, will not be an easy task for China. Then, China attaches more importance to the move to intervene in the Gulf region, where American influence is crumbling. Taking advantage of such opportunities. That’s how Xi Jinping sidelined Biden and turned the Saudi-Iran alliance into an opportunity.
What does Saudi gain by establishing ties with Iran? Why should Saudi, which is economically ahead, join hands with Iran under the mediation of China? There is a matter. It is widely confirmed that Iran is providing arms support to rebel activities in the region, including Yemen. In short, Yemen’s Houthi rebels will listen to Iran. The Saudis hope that cooperation with Iran will enable them to contain the Houthi rebels, who have even disrupted the Saudi oil supply chain. This decision may also help Saudi’s desire to withdraw the military operation in Yemen in name only. Thus, China is falling into the cracks in Biden’s West Asian diplomacy. China is poised to become the power to replace the US through diplomatic engagements along with trade deals. Where Biden fails, Xi Jinping succeeds.
