China’s power puts the Gulf in a balancing act with the US

While China is gaining increasing prominence on the world stage, for Gulf states, Beijing complicates the states long-standing ties with Washington, as covered by Maghrebi Week. According to one of the region’s top analysts, Sami Hamdi, while Gulf leaders increasingly eye China’s technology and markets, U.S. troops and bases still underpin their security.

China supplies just 2% of the region’s arms, and, unlike Washington, offers no defense guarantees, leaving Gulf states caught between the growing opportunities that China presents and dependence on US security in the region.

Hamdi said “everybody in the Gulf believes we need to move towards China… the discussion is, how far can I push the limits?”

Maghrebi Week