Does the United States have it, China has a clear strategy. China | Technology | United States
On July 17th, the bimonthly website of National Interest published an article titled "China has a clear Middle East strategy, does the United States have it?" written by Harry Lipman, a member of the board of directors of the United States Agency for International Development's Peace Fund Partnership. The full text is excerpted as follows:
The US foreign policy towards the Middle East is contradictory. The United States not only maintains a strategic partnership system aimed at addressing common threats, but also maintains a strong naval force in the region, not only protecting trade routes crucial to the US and global economy, but also regularly conducting joint military exercises with multiple countries. At the same time, the United States is seeking to shift its focus to the Indian Ocean Pacific region.
This creates a gap that China is attempting to fill by utilizing its non aligned policy with regional partners. China is developing pragmatic economic relations with other countries and hopes to achieve security through development.
China's attempt to replace the United States in the Middle East is likely to attract the latter's long-term assets to flow back to the region. Therefore, trade relations or technology competitions cannot be treated in isolation, nor can they be distinguished from broader security issues, as technology directly affects security. "China is actively expanding its diplomatic, information, military, and economic influence in the region," declared Michael Eric Kurila, Commander of the United States Central Command
▲ Information image: Chinese and American flags
China regards development and trade as synonymous terms. In turn, China's "the Belt and Road" initiative is committed to investing in physical and digital infrastructure, including infrastructure connecting ports and various platforms using e-government. Huawei and Alibaba are actively contributing to the digital transformation of the Gulf region by expanding their digital sector with advanced technology, known as the "Digital Silk Road".
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The response of the United States to this is to implement a "clean network" plan and persuade third countries to purchase 5G equipment from Huawei and ZTE. In addition, in July 2022, US President Biden signed a memorandum of understanding on 5G and 6G cooperation with Saudi Arabia. However, this is just the beginning, as China is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner. The United States must explore the scope of next-generation technology as a balance against China's digital Silk Road, which will prevent China's telecommunications and information technology from posing a security threat to the US military and its allies operating in the region.
Without advanced American technology, China's "the Belt and Road" initiative has formed an alliance with Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" plan, which is committed to developing trade and technology hubs, manufacturing and logistics facilities, artificial intelligence, digital industries and smart city infrastructure. Saudi Arabia is diversifying its economy to attract foreign investment and make it a central node connecting continents. The "the Belt and Road" enables China to enter Europe and Africa through Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Algeria. Due to its key position on this channel, Saudi Arabia is also known as a pearl in the "the Belt and Road" crown. This also lays the foundation for China to seek a comprehensive strategic partnership with the Middle East.
China's intervention in the region has expanded from simple economic aspects to participating in regional political and security affairs. As China continues to deepen its economic and strategic relations with Middle Eastern countries, it may make progress in security interests, making US allies less willing to yield to US pressure. This is also due to the inconsistent use of regional influence by the United States and its perceived lack of commitment to regional security.
The strategic partners of the United States in the region will continue to emulate their actions. If the United States is considered to be strategically involved in regional affairs, they are unlikely to step on two boats and instead join China's navy and security alliance. Just as China believes that the relationship between economy and security is the foundation for establishing an overall security architecture, the United States must also follow suit.