China’s Foreign Policy in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Islamic Republic of Iran: Exploring China’s Renewed Diplomacy in the Region

Abstract

This dissertation explains how the PRC achieved its foreign policy objectives in the UAE but failed to achieve the same in the KSA. The decades following WWII were one where the PRC went through inner turmoil and also supported communist movements around the world. In the 1980s, it began to court Western countries to develop an industrial base and improve the lives of its citizens. Following China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, the CCP sought to grow its economy and ensure its continued rule. In 2004, China's political leaders devoted significant resources to promoting cultural diplomacy with Persian Gulf countries, primarily through cultural diplomacy. After 2010, Sino-Emerati bilateral trade began to increase significantly and, as of 2020, is just slightly below that of Sino-Saudi trade. In 2016, the PRC published its Chinese Arab Policy Paper, outlining its goals in the Middle East. Due to unique circumstances (according to the World Bank, it is ranked among the top countries for ease of doing business) in the UAE, China’s quest to grow its trade has transformed significantly in the Emirates, and 6,000 Chinese companies operate in the UAE as of 2020, while only 132 were present in 2012. One reason is that Emirati leaders created laws in the early 2000s that were inclusive and protective of foreign investors (and they severely punish hate crime and discrimination), leading most Muslim countries in the Middle East. Furthermore, the UAE created the Dubai Financial Market in 2000 and numerous trade-free zones to encourage foreign investment. China’s success in the UAE is instructive and might signal challenges for American influence as the PRC refines trade agreements and promotes the Belt and Road Initiative.

Disciplines

International Relations | Political Science | Social and Behavioral Sciences

First Advisor

Chad Raymond

Date of Award

1-1-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

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