العلاقات العربية الصينية (1990-2017): دراسة حالة السعودية
Date
2020-01-11
Authors
خضر طه حسن أبوديه
Khader Taha Hasan Abudayya
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
جامعة القدس
Abstract
The current study aims at understanding and analyzing the Arab-Chinese relations through studying the case of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since the establishment of the official relations between The Kingdom and China between the years 1990-2017. Besides, it is an introduction to the Chinese policy towards The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which, in turn, aims to demonstrate the nature of the Arab-Chinese relations and to what extent these relations are affected by the changes in the regional and international system. In addition, this study tackled the revolutions of the Arab Spring and their influence on the Saudi-Chinese relations and China's position on these revolutions.
The nature of the current study required adopting a number of methods in order to analyze the topic of the study. First, the researcher used the descriptive method in order to uncover the different facts regarding the topic of the study. Second, the researcher adopted the content analysis methodology with the aim of analyzing the content of the statements of the World Bank, CIA, as well as the statements of the ministries of foreign affairs of the target counties in this study. Third, the historical methodology was employed in order to illustrate the stages through which the Arab-Chinese relations improved.
This study has reached to several conclusions and results. One of them is that the Arab-Chinese relations are defined as cooperative relations in all fields and moving to a stage of expansion. These relations are based on the five principles of the Chinese external relations which are; reciprocal respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-reciprocal aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence. Moreover, the study concluded that the relations between China and Saudi Arabia are cooperative relations in all fields. These relations were based on determinants which were contributory factors to consolidating and strengthening the relations between the two countries. Furthermore, the study found that the change in the polar system has positively influenced the commercial relations between China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, this did not affect the military
relations between the two countries. This necessarily indicates that the change in the polar system led to a positive improvement in the direction of relations between the two countries.
Another finding is that the Chinese-Saudi relations were affected by the Arab revolutions. In addition, the study concluded that the changes on the international system are much more influential on the Arab-Chinese relations than the Arab Spring revolutions. The reason for this resides in the fact that the marginal states are more influenced by the center (big powers). But generally, the current study found that the Yemeni and Syrian revolutions negatively affected the trade relations between China and Saudi Arabia. At the same time, it did not affect the political cooperation between them. Regarding the Egyptian revolution, it was completely the opposite.
The current study suggested a number of recommendations. For example, it indicated the necessity of increasing investments in the Arab region especially in Saudi Arabia in the petroleum industry. Also, it stressed the fact that Saudi Arabia should be open to the outside world through promulgating laws and regulations that encourage foreigner investment. Another recommendation is to intensify the cultural exchange between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China through opening institutes and colleges in order to teach the Chinese Language.
Moreover, the study emphasizes that the Arab systems should strive for making alliances with China and joining the Silk Road project in order to improve their international cooperation. This way, China could be a strategic ally to the Arab countries against the expansion of the influence of the U.S and Israel in the Arab World especially after China had become one of the world's major powers as well as the biased American policies towards Israel. Finally, for future studies, the current study recommends studying the directions of the relations between the U.S and Saudi Arabia in a variety of areas and compare it with the results of this study in order to see how similar or different they are. Where do the Saudi Arabian external relations get affected by the new polar system? Does that occur more in its relation with the U.S or with China. This is meant to study it deeply on an international level in order to have a clearer image