China does not need to replace the US in the Gulf

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-15T18:01:16.133Z • Permanent link

China's latest foray into the Middle East has sparked intense debate among policymakers and industry experts. At the forefront of this discussion is the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure development project aimed at connecting China to Europe and Africa. However, a recent report by the European Centre for International Political Analysis (ECIPA) highlights the US's continued dominance in the region, rendering China's efforts somewhat moot.

Key to understanding China's intentions lies in the appointment of Yang Jiechi, the newly appointed special representative for Belt and Road Affairs, who has been actively courting Gulf states to join the BRI. This strategic move is not without precedent, as the US has long maintained a significant military presence in the region. Moreover, China's Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in Beijing in 2017, saw the signing of landmark agreements with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE. Notably, China's involvement in the region has been met with varying degrees of enthusiasm from these nations, with some expressing concerns over the long-term implications of BRI.

Meanwhile, in a significant development, Saudi Arabia has announced plans to establish a $500 billion new city on the Red Sea coast, dubbed NEOM. This ambitious project is seen as a major test of the US's influence in the region, and raises questions over whether China's BRI can rival the scale and scope of this initiative. As tensions between the US and China continue to escalate, it remains to be seen how these competing visions for the Middle East will play out.

The implications of China's growing presence in the Middle East are far-reaching, with significant implications for the global AI and tech ecosystem. For instance, the UAE's decision to partner with China on the BRI has sparked concerns among industry experts, who fear that the UAE's participation in this initiative could compromise its long-standing relationship with the US. Furthermore, China's aggressive push for AI and tech dominance in the region has led to a surge in investments in AI research and development, with major companies such as Huawei and Alibaba pouring billions of dollars into the sector.

Moreover, the BRI has also attracted the attention of major research institutions and academia, with several universities and think tanks announcing plans to collaborate with Chinese institutions on AI-related research projects. This trend has significant implications for the global AI research community, which is grappling with the implications of China's rapid advancements in AI technology. As the stakes grow higher, industry experts are warning of a potential AI arms race, with the US and China locked in a battle for technological supremacy.

The BRI is not a new initiative, but rather a culmination of China's long-term strategy to expand its economic and military influence across the globe. This strategy has its roots in the 2001 "Go West" campaign, launched by the Chinese government to promote economic development in the western regions of the country. Since then, China has been steadily expanding its presence in the region, with significant investments in infrastructure, trade, and energy.