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The Gulf region refers geographically either broadly to the area including Iran and Iraq, or narrowly to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. From the 7th to the 20th century, this region witnessed the birth and spread of Islam, the rise and fall of major dynasties and empires, and the struggle for dominance among Western powers.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Gulf was perceived by the West as a region with a desert climate, economically underdeveloped, strategically important but of secondary priority. However, the discovery of oil in Iran in 1908 by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) marked a turning point, signaling shifting dynamics both for European powers and for the future of the Middle East. Following Iran, the discovery of oil in other countries significantly changed the global approach to the region. William L. Cleveland, in his book A History of the Modern Middle East, explains this transformation by stating, “What turned the Arabian Peninsula from Britain’s backyard into the focus of world attention was oil.”
In the United States, the discovery of oil acted like a magnet. American companies, especially the Standard Oil of California (SoCal)—which later became known as the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco)—sought to maximize the benefits they could extract from the region’s petroleum resources. The discovery of oil diversified U.S. relations with the Gulf states, with a focus on security ties with Saudi Arabia and efforts to reshape Iraq’s political landscape.
However, over the past 15 years, Washington’s influence over Middle Eastern countries has declined. Iran’s increasing influence in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, along with Türkiye’s expanding role in Syria, illustrate the shifting balance of power and the waning of the U.S. engagement in the region. Nevertheless, America’s deep-rooted presence in the region’s long-term memory continues to play a key role in maintaining its influence. Furthermore, historical ties, Israeli attacks on Palestine, the shifting dynamics in Syria, and former President Donald Trump’s decision to make his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia—and to engage subsequently with other Gulf states—delayed the fruition of Trump’s “anti-globalization” policy.
The Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been attempting to both strengthen their security and diplomatic ties with the United States amid concerns over the diminishing American commitment and to diversify their economies by developing bilateral relations with other major powers such as the People’s Republic of China and Russia.
China, the subject of this analysis, began its opening to the world under Deng Xiaoping in the 1970s, and this process accelerated with Xi Jinping’s assumption of the presidency in 2012. Parallel to these developments, China has expanded its global influence and deepened its economic growth. In this context, the Gulf countries have come to the forefront by meeting China’s growing energy demands, by leveraging their geopolitical importance within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and by becoming focal points for the dissemination of Chinese soft power in the region.
Along with positive outcomes, however, the strengthening of bilateral relations has also led to the sidelining of ethical concerns. Human rights violations and political repression carried out by China in East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and Taiwan have often been overlooked by the Gulf states.
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