Potential to tap in the future

It’s a misconception that Sino-Arab cooperation is only about oil. As a matter of fact, only a few, such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, of the 22 Arab countries and regions export oil to China. The importance of oil in SinoArab relations has relatively declined in recent years, because the global energy market has changed from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market and China has diversified its energy imports.

As a strategic partner of nine Arab states, China’s cooperation with the Arab world extends to technology, finance, tourism and the aerospace industry. Looking ahead, the Belt and Road Initiative and various development plans proposed by the Arab states, for instance, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and National Transformation Program 2020, would provide more space for cooperation.

But since China’s growing influence in the Arab world has raised the concerns of the US-led West, it should be made clear that China has neither the capability nor the intention of replacing the United States in the Arab world. The main reasons for the US’ declining influence in the Arab world are Washington’s unpopular policies and moves.

Generally speaking, China and the US have followed two distinct paths in the Arab world. While Beijing has maintained friendly relations with the Arab states and adhered to the policy of non-interference in any country’s internal affairs, Washington has always tried to impose on the Arab states its own set of values, even waged wars that have devastated many a Middle East country. In other words, the US’ influence in the Arab world is waning and China’s is rising because of their respective policies. The potential for deeper Sino-Arab cooperation in four fields is immense. First, to improve energy security, the two sides should deepen cooperation in the field of energy. Yet Sino-Arab cooperation is focused on trade. To strengthen the bond in energy, the Arab states have to open up their upstream oil and gas operations to China so it can have access to rich oil and gas, and China should open up its downstream oil and gas operations to Arab investment to allow the Arab enterprises to increase their share in the Chinese market.

Second, deeper cooperation in production capacity can help the Arab states to expedite their industrialization. Some Arab

Yang Guang, a senior research fellow at and director-general of Institute of WestAsian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences