The Rise of the Great Dragon

Abstract

China's engagement with the Gulf countries increased primarily due to economic reasons. The weight of the evidence suggests that the US dominance over the region is in decline, while China’s presence and influence are on the rise. The mutually interdependent China-Gulf relationship allowed China to become a key economic actor and a power in the Gulf region. The bolstering engagement of China in the region and its increasing influence led scholars to question its motives. The thesis adopts a nuanced approach to the rise of China and investigates China’s intentions: whether China is only driven by economic motives; or it seeks to pursue hegemonic goals and confront the US hegemony in the Gulf region. It investigates the extent to which China’s Gulf policy reflects certain hegemonic goals. Stated otherwise, to what extent can China’s Gulf policy be viewed within the context of US-China competition for global hegemony. The thesis showcases that China’s motives in the Gulf region are mixed, constituting a blend of economic and geostrategic interests. The thesis argues that even as China increases its economic power and influence in the Gulf region, it does not yet pose a serious challenge to the US status in the region. The dynamic nature of international relations and Gulf politics, however, holds the possibility of things changing, and not in the too distant future.