Free the Arab World from Geopolitics with Development, Editorializes Global Times

Dec. 7, 2022 (EIRNS)—In an editorial today, “What Is the Significance of the Milestone of China-Arab Summit,” Global Times points out that both China and the Arab countries face similar “historical opportunities and challenges,” out of which emerged the decision to hold the China-Arab Summit that will take place for the first time on Dec. 9.

Nor, it says, have Arab countries completely freed themselves from geopolitical conflicts. They still have regional hotspots and have suffered the “severe impact” of the Western-backed Arab Spring. But unlike Western powers that come into the region with a superior attitude, China “shares the hardships of the Arab countries in the struggle for national liberation,” and there is a huge potential for cooperation.

In a Dec. 6 op-ed, Wang Guanda, secretary general of the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development at Shanghai International Studies University wrote that both China and the Arab countries “have supported each other in the struggle against imperialism and colonialism,” noting that during the 1955 Bandung Conference, China communicated with those Arab countries that had just received their independence, and Arab nations voted in large numbers for the 1971 UNGA resolution that recognized that the People’s Republic of China was the only legitimate representative of China at the UN.

Arab nations understand that China will respect their sovereignty and not meddle in their internal affairs. So now the focus is on collaboration through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative with the understanding that development will bring peace and prosperity. China has been involved in building many infrastructure projects—bridges, roads and hospitals in addition to increasing trade which has greatly benefited the Arab people.

Samer Khair Ahmed, a Jordanian writer and expert on Arab-Chinese relations, told Xinhua that “it’s important that China provides its expertise in developing infrastructure in the Arab world, in ports and international transportation that connects the Arab region with the world, which will help make the Arab region restore its status as a connection between Asia, Europe and Africa.”

Saudi Arabia continues to supply China with oil and has now replaced Russia as China’s number one provider, but the Kingdom also wants to reduce reliance on oil exports by creating new industries that will generate jobs for Saudis. According to Reuters, it is now vying with the U.A.E.’s regional commercial center to become a transport and logistics hub, including by developing seaports to capitalize on the region’s strategic position between Asia, Africa and Europe.

China is anxious to invest in mega-infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia.

China has signed BRI cooperation agreements with 20 Arab states and the Arab League. According to Xinhua, the two sides have carried out more than 200 large-scale cooperation projects in energy infrastructure and other fields, to the benefit of 2 billion people among them. The expectation is that “dozens” of agreements and MOUs will come out of Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia, at an estimated value of $29.3 billion.