The security policies of states are based on the historical experience of the country in question. China’s main goal in foreign policy is to become the world’s superpower in 2049. Because this goal emphasizes that the century of humiliation of the great Chinese civilization is over and the lost reputation has been regaining. In order to achieve the aforementioned goal, the Beijing administration has initiated the Belt and Road Initiative since 2013. Therefore, the security of this project is directly related to China’s national security strategy.
China’s main goal is to ensure the economic and social security of the people. In this context, a connection is established between economic development and internal and external security. Within this framework, China’s basic security policy is based on the remove of dangers that will hinder the country’s development. With the result that ensuring China’s internal security depends on its economy and thus its foreign policy. Beijing views economic development as a “national security matter.”
After the transition of Western capital to cheap labor since 1980, there has been a great improvement in the Chinese economy. This improvement has brought with it military and political empowerment. From this point of view, it can be said that Beijing must also meet international security conditions in order to ensure its national security. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s pledge to work together in Afghanistan’s reconstruction process after his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Bilavel Bhutto Zardari, can be read as a step realised due to this necessity.[1] What should be emphasised here is that the Belt and Road Initiative functions as a tool to fulfil mentioned requirement
In the last period, Due to the fact that China’s increasing influence in the global system is seen as a threat by the United States (USA), many crises have been raised in the competition between the two actors. The Beijing administration, which is heavily dependent on foreign energy, aims to replicate energy providers in order to eliminate the possible risks of the aforementioned competition. In this context, the Gulf States appear as a centre of attraction for Chinese foreign policy. It must be stated that; Beijing administration shows a “peace priority” attitude and attaches importance to cooperation areas. It is to strengthen its presence in many regions due to its effort to reshape the global system. Especially within the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative, the construction works and the economic opportunities it provides increase its impact in the international arena. Since this effort of China is welcomed by the states that want to increase their power, it provides a win-win relationship.
As it is known, China is the largest manufacturer in the world. However, the most important point for provide manufacturing is energy. Although China has large coal reserves, it is not self-sufficient in energy and specially is endeavouring to increase its oil suppliers. In this context, the Gulf States are seen as a center of attraction for Beijing administration. China’s interest in the Gulf is reciprocated. Because its investments in the states it has contacted show the reason for this response. The said response stems from the overlap of the policies of the Gulf Countries and the trade network that Beijing is trying to establish through the Belt and Road Initiative.
Ultimately, China’s relations with the Gulf Countries have improved because it both meets its own energy needs and sees them as an important market for its products. For the stability of these relations, it is seen that China is pursuing a multifaceted and proactive foreign policy. These relations established by Beijing for energy security should also be deepened in the context of regional and global security. As a matter of fact, the Xi administration is worried about the negative developments in the countries where it both invests and meets its energy needs. An example of this situation is the concern that China feels due to the fact that China is an oil investor in the country during the conflicts in Sudan.[2]
China has shown that it will not hesitate to take initiative in global politics after assuming the role of mediator in the Iran-Saudi Arabia issue. However, this situation was not welcomed by the USA and increased the dose of competition between the two actors. It can be argued that the Washington administration, which pursues a protectionist policy against Beijing, knows the foreign dependence of its opponent. As a matter of fact, the Biden administration is implementing policies against China due to its energy dependency, which Beijing sees as its “weak point”. The US Senate’s adoption of an amendment to the annual defence bill banning oil exports from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China, is qualified to prove this.[3]
China’s foreign dependence on energy is used as a trump card by its rival, the USA. In this context, China’s concerns about instability in the countries with which it is in contact within the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative and its efforts to deepen its relations on energy are understood. Therefore, the Beijing administration, which wants to increase its alternatives, has recently been getting closer to Saudi Arabia. China is making its interlocutors dependent on itself in foreign policy with the money diplomacy it is practicing. Although this dependency is a gain, China’s Gross Domestic Product points to a fragile structure. Therefore, the Beijing administration is trying to prevent the risks arising from aggressive stimulus debt and keep the economic recovery balanced.[4] From this point of view, Gulf capital justifies China’s inclination towards Saudi Arabia, as it creates a positive perception in terms of the return of investments.
Another issue that should be focused on is the purpose of the Riyadh administration. Saudi Arabia, which does not want to lose both its diplomatic and commercial power against Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the region, aims to expand its sphere of influence and turn its capital into a diplomatic earning. The infrastructure of the Belt and Road is quite attractive for this purpose. The fact that Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha visited Hong Kong to development cooperation between the two regions in the field of innovation and technology is an outgrowth of said charm.[5] Because this is evidence of the strategic priority between the two actors.
As a result, it can be argued that internal and external security are eclectic in China’s security strategy. The fact that China considers every element that will pose an obstacle to its economic development as a matter of national security explains its effort to create a global trade network. In this context, the Belt and Road Initiative is being used as an important tool in Beijing’s global influence building. Because China, which is the most important manufacturer in the world, needs a reliable and global market for a stable development. However, the Beijing administration, which wants to increase its energy alternatives due to its foreign dependence on energy, has recently turned to Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, the relations of the two actors are deepening, as the Belt and Road Initiative’s yields coincides with Saudi Arabia’s policies in the region. Based on all these, it can be argued that the main motive for the development of China-Saudi Arabia relations is the need for energy by the Xi administration. It is highly likely that strategic partnership will be emphasized frequently in Riyadh-Beijing relations in the coming period.
[1] “China’s Belt and Road to Enter Afghanistan in Taliban’s Victory.”, The Economic Times, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/chinas-belt-and-road-to-enter-afghanistan-in-talibans-victory/articleshow/100050983.cms, (Erişim Tarihi: 07.05.2023).
[2] “Will Sudan War Cast a Shadow on China’s BRI Projects in Africa and Arab world?”, The Economic Times, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/will-sudan-war-cast-a-shadow-on-chinas-bri-projects-in-africa-and-arab-world/articleshow/99767961.cms, (Erişim Tarihi: 25.04.2023)
[3] “Senate Backs Measure Barring Oil Sales to China from Strategic Petroleum Reserve.’’, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-senate-backs-amendment-barring-oil-sales-china-spr-voting-continues-2023-07-20/, (Erişim Tarihi: 20.07.2023)
[4] “China’s Frail Q2 GDP Growth Raises Urgency for More Policy Support.”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-q2-gdp-growth-slows-08-qq-just-above-expectations-2023-07-17/, (Erişim Tarihi: 17.07.2023)
[5] “MCIT China Visit Accelerates Innovation and Technology Collaboration Between Saudi Arabia and China.”, Zawya, https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/companies-news/mcit-china-visit-accelerates-innovation-and-technology-collaboration-between-saudi-arabia-and-china-r20eoh8s, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.07.2023).