THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE AND CHINA-GCC RELATIONS: Strategic Partnerships in a Multipolar World Order 2.0

This chapter examines the evolving relationship between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Multipolar World Order 2.0. It argues that China’s engagement with the GCC through the BRI represents a significant shift in regional geopolitics, offering GCC states increased agency and autonomy in their foreign relations. The analysis is grounded in neoclassical realist theory and conceptualises GCC foreign policy as increasingly “multi-vector” in nature. It engages with this topic by providing a historical overview of the development of China-GCC relations through four distinct phases, culminating in the current era of Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships that is enabled by the BRI. It examines how the BRI aligns with GCC states’ economic diversification agendas while also supporting China’s own strategic interests. It recognises that the character of this relationship is multifaceted in nature. This includes engagement in a variety of sectors, such as energy, technology, finance, and infrastructure. This chapter also provides an analysis of the broader geopolitical implications of China’s growing presence in the Gulf, including its impact on the traditional US-centric security architecture. It argues that while this shift presents challenges for the United States and for the GCC to navigate between the superpowers, it also offers geoeconomic and geostrategic opportunities for the GCC states. The chapter concludes by reflecting on how the China-GCC relationship under the BRI underlines the changing dynamics of global power and influence in the contemporary multipolar system.