The most recent forum with Arab states made clear that the region is increasingly more central to the success of China’s bid for influence through trade and development
The eighth Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) was held last week, bringing the foreign ministers of the 22 Arab League member states together with their Chinese counterpart, State Councilor Wang Yi. Not surprisingly, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was a central focus of the meeting.
The CASCF was begun in 2004 as a mechanism to promote Sino-Arab cooperation on political, economic and cultural issues. The Ministerial Meeting takes place every two years, setting the agenda for the next two-year cycle and identifying areas of shared concern. The last meeting, held in Qatar, emphasized the BRI as a means of strengthening ties; this one underscored the importance Beijing has come to place on stability in the Arab world if the BRI is to achieve its ambitious goals.
This can largely be attributed to geopolitics: the Middle East occupies some very important real estate, located in the middle of the BRI’s land and maritime routes. Increased instability there could derail China’s plans for Eurasian connectivity and gives leaders in Beijing reason to deepen their strategic stakes in a region where their presence has traditionally been dominated by economic interests.
To this end, China committed US$23 billion in loans and aid to Arab states, with money bookmarked for infrastructure and reconstruction projects, humanitarian aid and efforts to support social stability in Arab states.
The focus on development speaks to the vision of Middle Eastern peace consistently articulated by Chinese leaders: security through development. In a 2014 interview with Al Jazeera, Wang made this point explicitly, saying: “We believe that development holds the key and serves as the foundation for solving all problems.
