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OPINION JUNE 23, 2023 | The Indian Eye 12

the Combined Maritime Forces two
months ago.”
Meanwhile, Russia, China and
Iran conducted a naval exercise in the
Gulf of Oman in mid-March, under
the name ‘Maritime Security Belt
2023’. The naval drills were widely
viewed by Gulf States as a show of
strength by the emerging axis of Rus-
sia, China and Iran against the de-
clining Western commitment to the
region. In fact, Chinese participation
in this naval exercise was reported to
be its largest ever in the Gulf and so
it is believed that the UAE’s decision
to quit the US-led maritime coalition
might have been influenced by the
potential alternative presented by
China and Iran.
Although Gulf States have so
far not commented upon Iran’s an-
nouncement of a Perso-Arab Gulf
naval alliance, China reacted im-
mediately to the news and support-
ed Iran’s purported initiative. On 5
June 2023, China’s Foreign Ministry Iran’s growing militaristic prowess, such as its recent unveiling of the hypersonic ballistic missile Fattah,
spokesman Wang Wenbin respond-
ed to news in a press meet by saying has exacerbated other nations coming in its range (File photo)
that Beijing “supports regional coun-
tries (in the Persian Gulf) in seeking to join his country’s Global Security sy in the West, China has managed has exacerbated other nations com-
development through solidarity and Initiative (GSI) “in a joint effort to to balance the move in West Asia by ing in its range. Iran claims that Fat-
keeping their future firmly in their uphold regional peace and stability”. signing similar strategic partnerships tah is capable of moving at a speed
own hands,” and added, “China will Xi added that “China will continue to with 12 Arab WANA (West Asia, of at least Mach 5, or five times the
continue to play a positive and con- firmly support GCC countries in safe- North Africa) states, with whom it speed of sound and has a range of
structive role in promoting regional guarding their security, and support boasts of having cordial ties with con- 1,400 kilometres that would put Isra-
peace and stability.” Meanwhile, Qa- the efforts by regional countries to tending parties in the conflict-torn el, US bases and most Arab states in
tari news portal Al-Jadid claims that resolve differences through dialogue region. the Gulf region within reach. In fact,
China has already started mediating and consultation and to build a Gulf Iran claims that this hypersonic pro-
negotiations among Tehran, Riyadh, collective security architecture”. In Iran’s Hypersonic Missile and jectile has the ability to “penetrate
and Abu Dhabi to reinforce naviga- fact, West Asia figures prominently the Threat of War all air defense missile systems and
tional safety in the Persian Gulf. in the GSI concept paper in that it However, China’s policy has its detonate them,” and a giant billboard
In stark contrast to the West, Chi- calls for establishing a “new security pitfalls and it may also be that the in Tehran brazenly reads in Persian,
na’s economic development is heavily framework” country may have already overplayed Arabic and Hebrew languages, “400
dependent on a steady, uninterrupted Moreover, China promises to its hand in West Asia. For now, West seconds to Tel Aviv”.
and relatively affordable flow of ener- use the GSI to support the efforts of Asian states are frustrated with the Thus, China might have un-
gy resources, with over 50 percent of regional countries to “strengthen di- US for “abandoning” the war-torn leashed the very threat of war in West
its crude imports coming from West alogue and improve their relations, region in favour of its pivot to Asia. Asia, which it might wish to avoid to
Asia already. As geopolitical tensions accommodate the reasonable secu- But China’s overt support to Shiite secure its long-term energy needs. By
in the Indo-Pacific rise, the country is rity concerns of all parties, strength- Iran, which is an ideological rival of promoting its own security architec-
bedevilled by the so-called ‘Malacca en the internal forces of safeguard- the US, Israel and more importantly ture for West Asia, it is acting as a new
Dilemma’ – which refers to the nar- ing regional security, and support most Sunni states in the region, could hegemon and may have entered the
row Malacca Strait, through which the League of Arab States (Arab soon undermine the country’s sup- Thucydides Trap by provoking the ex-
much of China’s vital energy imports League) and other regional organiza- posedly “non-partisan image”. isting superpower US, which has still
flow and could be easily blocked by an tions in playing a constructive role in Iran’s growing influence in West not entirely abandoned the region.
adversary in times of war. Therefore, this regard.” Asia has been a cause of concern for
China is looking for greater cooper- Countries in West Asia, particu- both the West and Israel for many Dr. Adil Rasheed is Research Fellow at
ation to build alternate land routes larly the Arab Gulf states, have over years. “Iran is everywhere,” Amir the Manohar Parrikar Institute for De-
through Iran and Central Asia for its the years welcomed China’s so-called Avivi, a brigadier general in the Is- fence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
oil supplies from Gulf and to this end policy of “positive balance” in the rael Defense Forces’ (IDF) reserve, Views expressed are of the author and
is now investing its political and stra- region, described as “not choosing recently told Newsweek. “And it’s not do not necessarily reflect the views of
tegic capital into the region. sides, nor making enemies”. Its secu- new, but what is new is that the possi- the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
China’s GSI in West Asia: rity mediation in Iraq, Sudan, Yemen bility of war is getting bigger and big-
“Collective Security and even Israeli-Palestinian conflict ger. There’s more chance of a large- Government of India.
Architecture” has so far avoided criticism. Although scale war than ever before, that is, in This article first appeared in the
Thus, in his address to the Chi- China’s signing of a 25-year agree- the last 20 or 30 years.” Comments section of the website (www.
na-Gulf Cooperation Council summit ment with Iran in March 2021 as part Iran’s growing militaristic prow- idsa.in) of Manohar Parrikar Institute
in December 2022, Chinese Presi- of their Comprehensive Strategic ess, such as its recent unveiling of the for Defense Studies and Analyses, New
dent Xi Jinping invited Gulf States Partnership sparked much controver- hypersonic ballistic missile Fattah, Delhi on June 12, 2023

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