China’s Relations with the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council

• In Event: The Rising Demands of a Rising China

Abstract

China’s energy requirements have contributed to an increased presence in many states beyond its traditional sphere of interests. This is especially the case of the Arabian Peninsula states of the Persian Gulf. The vast hydrocarbon reserves of the Arabian Peninsula have made the GCC states strategically important trading partners for China. The relationship is symbiotic, however, as China presents an attractive long-term customer for Gulf energy products as well as a destination for GCC investment. Importantly, in the wake of the political instability in the Middle East since the beginning of the Arab Spring, China also is a tremendously attractive political partner for GCC states wary of American activism in the region. This paper examines the main elements underlying the relationship between China and the GCC member states: trade (energy and non-energy), investment, and political and diplomatic engagement. It concludes that although the relationships are currently largely commercial, the potential for a stronger relationship with a security element is likely to have a significant impact on the international political environment of the Persian Gulf.

Author

• Jonathan David Fulton, Zayed University