Chinese Communist Party State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited six Middle Eastern countries from March 24 to 30. Analysts say that the CCP’s attempts to use economic benefits in exchange for support from Middle Eastern countries on the CCP’s egregious human rights issues have sparked popular resentment in Middle Eastern countries and have had limited effect.
Wang’s visit to the six Middle East countries comes just days after the U.S.-China talks in Alaska on March 18 and 19. At that time, Wang Yi and Yang Jiechi, director of the Foreign Affairs Leading Group Office of the CPC Central Committee, shocked the international community with their “war wolf” remarks, such as “the Chinese don’t eat this”, which were said to be inconsistent with normal diplomatic etiquette.
In the Middle East, Wang visited Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and made a working visit to Oman.
The Voice of America reported on April 1 that Wang Yi visited six countries in six days, setting a record for the most Middle Eastern countries visited by a Chinese Communist Party foreign minister in one visit.
The report cited analysts as saying that the CCP’s move was aimed at challenging U.S. influence in the Middle East and exchanging economic benefits for support from local countries on issues such as human rights, but the effect of these efforts may be limited.
CCP Exchanges Economic Benefits for Political Benefits
According to the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi claimed in six Middle Eastern countries that the CCP “does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries,” among other things.
Countries with poor human rights records such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey appreciate this approach, but Beijing also wants it to be reciprocal, as in the case of Beijing’s crackdown on the Uighurs,” Nathan Vest, a Middle East expert at the international research firm RAND Corporation, told VOA. Paradoxically, condemnation of China’s (CCP) policies in Xinjiang has generally been muted, if not absent, among Middle Eastern countries.”
In addition, all six countries that Wang Yi visited have joined the CCP’s “Belt and Road” project, and all have pledged to continue their cooperation this time, and to cooperate on vaccines. All six countries “congratulated the Communist Party of China on the 100th anniversary of its founding” and “supported China’s (CCP) hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics,” according to the CCP’s Foreign Ministry website.
The Voice of America cited an analysis that said China (CCP) has traded its limited economic tools for support from Middle Eastern countries on issues such as human rights, that it imports half of its oil from the region and that China is the top trading partner of Arab countries in 2020.
Experts believe that while China intends to expand its influence in the Middle East, it is largely based on the economic dimension, and in the long run it will be difficult for the CCP to shake the deep foundation of the United States in the Middle East, which has spent huge sums of money over the years to fight extremist groups and protect freedom of navigation in the region.
CCP’s Effect of Pulling Middle East Countries Together is Limited
Wang Yi signed a 25-year agreement with Iran on March 27, covering cooperation in the fields of trade, energy and security. The text of the draft agreement, cited by several media outlets, shows that the Chinese Communist Party agreed to invest $400 billion in Iran over 25 years in exchange for a stable supply of Iranian oil.
However, neither the Chinese Communist Party nor Iranian officials have yet released specific details to the public of the agreement, which had sparked controversy inside Iran in July 2020.
The Voice of America cited an analysis that said the Sino-Iranian agreement was more form than substance and set goals that simply could not be achieved.
World Bank data shows that Iran’s foreign direct investment has fallen to $1.5 billion in 2019, while the deal with China (Communist Party of China) would provide $16 billion annually from China alone.
The BBC reported on March 29 that according to the draft, the Chinese Communist Party will significantly increase investment in Iran in energy, electricity, banking, telecommunications, ports, railroads and agriculture, including the establishment of free trade zones in places such as Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, smart cities, 5G and the construction of subway lines in several cities.
Some Iranians bluntly said the deal would lead to “looting and exploitation. One user tweeted, “A 25-year agreement with an illegal regime caught in a spiral of national anger is a clear invasion of Iranian territory. Chinese (Communist) leaders must know that they will not survive this deadly quagmire.”
Robin Mills, chief executive of Dubai-based consulting firm Kamal Energy, told Voice of America, “As long as U.S. sanctions remain in place, Chinese (Communist Party of China) investment in Iran will continue to be restricted. If U.S. sanctions are eased, then China (CCP) will face competition from European, Indian and other investors in Iran.”
He said, “Diplomatically and militarily, China’s (CCP) role is much more limited and will not affect the position of the United States. The Sino-Iranian relationship should not be exaggerated, and China (CCP) has much deeper trade ties with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel, which do not conflict with U.S. objectives.”
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