EnergySource
May 11, 2020
Increasing mutual dependence in Sino-Gulf relations is changing the strategic landscape
By
Christian Le Miere
The conventional wisdom that the United States is the only viable partner for Gulf states is now being challenged by a new reality: the main importer of Gulf oil is now China. At the same time, China’s strategic goals increasingly encompass stability in the Middle East, while a more activist foreign policy under Xi Jinping ensures greater involvement in the security, as well as economic, discourse in the region.