“The US and the West don't really care about democracy in the Middle East and are instead attempting to turn their Middle Eastern allies into tools for confronting non-Western powers”
Fudan University Professor Sun Degang asserts that China is leading a group of economically driven Asian nations that are assisting in the creation of a "new Middle East" free from the narrow American and Western geopolitical interests.
Professor Sun is the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at Fudan University and a vice president at the Chinese Middle East Studies Association (CMESA 中国中东学会).
Full translation of Sun’s article published on July 17, 2023, in the Chinese version of the Global Times:
“Amidst great changes unseen in a century, Middle Eastern countries are ‘looking east,’ while Asian countries are ‘heading west.’ Both sides are developing increasingly closer and more pragmatic cooperative relationships.
“Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both visited the Gulf in the last two days. Some media outlets interpreted this as yet another attempt to "counter China's influence."
“But when it comes to the Middle East, where a new atmosphere is gradually taking shape, Asian countries should steer clear of the strategic competition trap. Instead, they should make positive contributions to the region's peaceful development.
“The Middle East’s Problems are Complicated by the American-European Security Concept
“The Middle East has long been referred to as ‘the world's powder keg’ 全球火药桶. The region has long been troubled by ethnic tensions, sectarian conflicts, territorial disputes, and refugees. The situation has worsened as a result of regional conflicts, competition between major powers on the global stage, and American and European interference.
“By dividing and conquering the Middle East, erecting ‘small yards and high fences,’ and waging in ‘proxy wars,’ the US and the European powers have not only failed to resolve regional security threats, but they have also internationalized regional security and multilateralized bilateral security.
“China, on the other hand, has proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which seeks to replace confrontations with dialogues and alliances with partnerships. This new security concept is gaining popularity in the Middle East and has made significant contributions to regional peace.
“China successfully facilitated the reconciliation of Saudi Arabia and Iran in March of this year, resulting in a "tide of reconciliation" 和解潮 in the Middle East. The peace dividend 和平红利 that China brought to the Middle East is slowly evolving into a development dividend 发展红利.
“Saudi Arabia and Iran have beaten their swords into plowshares 化剑为犁, improving the overall investment climate in the Gulf region and laying the groundwork for extraterritorial nations to intensify their practical cooperation with West Asian [i.e., Middle Eastern] nations.
“The Key to Resolving the Middle East's Problems is Development
“Following the September 11 attacks, the US and the West believed that the root cause of the Middle East's turmoil was a "democracy deficit" 民主赤字. The US has worked to advance the Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI) for democracy, with the aim to promote ‘human rights, the rule of law, and freedom’ in the Middle East. In practice, the US and the West don't really care about democracy. They are only interested in turning their Middle Eastern partners into tools for confronting non-Western powers.
“According to China and other rational 理性 members of the international community, the "development deficit" [Xi’ist term] in the Middle East is the principle contradiction 主要矛盾 [Marxist-Maoist term]. Lack of dynamism and inadequate, unbalanced development have turned into roadblocks that keep Middle Eastern nations from progressing toward greater prosperity.
“In the decade that has followed the Arab Spring, Middle Eastern nations have been caught up in a maelstrom of a zero-sum game as a result of the geopolitics of extraterritorial powers and the sectarian politics of regional powers. This has resulted in a loss of development opportunities, and the gap between the Middle East's development and that of the rest of the world has not only not narrowed, but has widened.
“Thanks to the combined efforts of China, the United Nations, and the international community, the "tide of reconciliation" in the Middle East has aided in the region's transition from the ‘old Middle East’ of war and conflict to the ‘new Middle East’ of peace and development.
“Middle Eastern countries are attempting to rise above the "Thucydides Trap" externally and cross the "middle-income trap" internally, with development as their top priority. Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Vision 2035 in Kuwait, Vision 2040 in Oman, Turkey's Middle Corridor initiative, and Iran's Seventh Five-Year Plan are all underway.
"Asian Nations Provide New Impetus to Middle East Development
“Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US and European powers' attention to Middle Eastern affairs has waned even further. Unlike the US and Europe, which seek geopolitical interests in the Middle East, Asian countries seek geoeconomic interests, and Asia's overall level of cooperation is increasing.
“The majority of Asian nations hold the views that there can never be a true victor in a war, that security is indivisible, and that the Middle East can only progress through peaceful coexistence.
“Instead of engaging in armed conflict, extraterritorial forces should promote peace through development and reconciliation. All nations ought to actively broaden their networks of collaboration and support the parallel growth of a community of security and a community of shared interests.
“In the 'new Middle East,' with Asian powers turning their focus to the region for international cooperation, the 'security-oriented approach' will be replaced by one that is 'development-oriented.' Middle Eastern nations are emerging from the tumult of Western 'proxy wars' and sectarian conflicts in an effort to avoid falling victim to the extraterritorial powers' geopolitical rivalry once more.
“Western academics think that initiatives like the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor of Japan, the Global Gateway Initiative of the European Union, the U.S.-Japan-Australia Blue Dot Network Initiative, the Build Back Better World (B3W) and Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) programs of the Group of Seven, as well as the US-India-UAE-Israel I2U2, are largely intended to dilute China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
“Instead of siding with the Western powers and engaging in a vicious race to the bottom in infrastructure, science, and technology in an effort to forge exclusive economic and technological alliances, [the Asian powers] should provide positive energy and inject new impetus into the development of Middle Eastern nations.
“Instead of politicizing development issues, securitizing scientific and technological collaboration, and weaponizing interdependence, they should promote global cooperation based on market-oriented principles. The Middle East is big enough and offers numerous opportunities for development for everyone.
“The ‘new Middle East’ will see Middle Eastern countries become more aware of their strategic autonomy and hesitant to engage in great power competition. Food security, unemployment, urban diseases 城市病, climate change, and industrial underdevelopment are among the many challenges that Middle Eastern countries face in improving people's livelihoods.
“To keep up with the digital economy and energy transformation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Middle Eastern countries must form all-encompassing partnerships with Asian countries, for whom development is a top priority and a shared value.
“As a result of increased regional economic integration, energy, trade, and economic interdependence between West Asian nations and East, Southeast, and South Asian nations, an Asian Community with a Shared Destiny 亚洲命运共同体 will emerge.”