“America's diminishing status and general decline are a result of the times, if not more so of its own doing. It is not, however, the result of its rejection by Middle Eastern countries, let alone China's rising status and role”
Thus articulated Professor Liu Zhongmin - director of the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) - who believes that Washington's newly proposed rail network for the Middle East is motivated primarily by concerns about China.
Excerpts from Liu’s op-ed in the Chinese version of the Global Times, published May 10, 2023:
“According to media reports, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will visit Saudi Arabia on May 13th and will meet with his counterparts of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and India to discuss a major strategic infrastructure project.
“The project is expected to link the Gulf and Arab countries by rail, as well as India by shipping lanes and ports. Based on the reports, their primary goal is to benchmark 对标 against China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
“Such mega-infrastructure plans have clearly come as a surprise to the outside world. The reason is that the US is undergoing a strategic withdrawal from the Middle East, as it shifts its focus to great power competition.
“It is unlikely that the I2U2 Group [India, Israel, the US, and the UAE], which has been lacking vitality since its inception in 2021, will be able to carry it out. Sullivan's eagerness to visit the Middle East and peddle 兜售 the idea is likely a pretext for discussing other regional issues with Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other countries.
“The primary reason for Sullivan’t visit is the Middle East's ‘de-Americanization’ in light of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and particularly given the region's profound restructuring as of late.
“Furthermore, since the end of 2022, the US has been watching China, Iran, and Arab nations collaborate strategically more closely, making it increasingly anxious about its long-standing dominance over regional affairs.
“[US House Speaker] Kevin McCarthy gave a speech in the Israeli Knesset [parliament] a few days ago, in which he explicitly warned against Chinese investments in Israel. Yet, Middle Eastern countries, particularly Arab countries, have been unperturbed by US pressure. Not only do they firmly support China in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and development interests, but they also continue to strengthen their all-around pragmatic cooperation with it.
“Clearly, Sullivan's hurried trip to the Middle East will not be able to stop the ongoing wave of reconciliation. And while we certainly hope that the US-led ‘Middle East Rail Network,’ a so-called strategic infrastructure project, will bolster local economies, if its goal is to undermine China's cooperation with Middle Eastern countries, it is bound to fail.
"The underlying cause of that is a result of several contradictions 困境 [lit. predicament] in US Middle East policy right now:
“Selfishness 自私性 - At the heart of Washington’s Middle East strategy is a desire to build and maintain its hegemony.
“Exclusivity 排他性 - The US is unable to adapt to the trend of multipolarity and sees any country other than itself gaining global and regional influence as a threat.
“Fragmentation 破碎性 and unsustainability 不可持续性 - The core dilemma of the US Middle East strategy is the need to maintain US dominance while reducing strategic investment and excluding the rising role of other forces such as China.
“America's diminishing status and general decline 落衰 are a result of the times, if not more so of its own doing. It is not, however, the result of its rejection by Middle Eastern countries, let alone China's rising status and role. The rest of the world and the Middle East are acutely aware of this, but the US is the only one that has yet to wake up 清醒.” (Global Times)
Related Readings
csloh, I2U2 ; China’s Saudi-Iran Brokerage; China, Islam and New Visions