چکیده:
Since China started its economic reforms in 1978, it has achieved remarkable economic growth and development, presenting itself as a rising economic power in the international system. The rapid economic growth has increased China’s energy consumption especially that of crude oil. Before economic reform, China relied on domestic oil resources. However, the trend of ever-increasing oil consumption turned China into a net importer of crude oil to meet the petroleum needs of its industry sector since 1993. As a result, Beijing has established closer ties with the major oil- exporting countries. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the relative position of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its vast oil resources in China’s Middle East policy. The author examines China’s foreign policy goals, China’s foreign policy toward the Middle East and the status of GCC members in this policy.
خلاصه ماشینی:
The main objective of this paper is to analyze the relative position of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its vast oil resources in China’s Middle East policy.
Key words: China, (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council, Energy, Crude Oil, Economic Reforms, Economic Growth, Net Importer, Foreign Policy, Middle East Policy Ph. D.
Therefore, China’s main goals had political and ideological nature in contrast to the period of the late 1970s when economic interests became the main priority of China in its relations with the Middle East countries (Shichor, 1979: 203).
Since Deng took the power in 1978, China’s main priority in its relations with the Middle Eastern countries has been creating economic interdependency with oil-rich Arab countries to ensure smooth flow of oil imports in order to meet its growing domestic demand for oil for a sustained economic growth.
Hence, the political and security issues in the region, including the Arab- Israel conflict and the role of the United States in the region, have become less important to China’s foreign policy towards the Middle East.
Due to large oil reserves in the Middle East and the increasing trend of China’s oil imports to sustain its the economic growth and development, as well as China’s desire to increase its market share of Chinese goods and services in the Arab countries, cooperation especially in economic field will be increase most likely in the coming years.
The next section will examine the relations between China and the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and attempt to define the significance of tGCC countries in China’s Middle East Policy.