Imran Khalid

Opinion | I2U2: why US efforts to fan the flames of anti-China sentiment in West Asia, Middle East are failing

The lack of take-up for the latest US attempts to contain China lays bare its obsolete policy as the world moves towards greater collaboration

The dilemma for Washington is that the US is perceived as a security provider in the region, albeit an unreliable one, while China is increasingly seen as a reliable trading partner

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US President Joe Biden at the inaugural I2U2 summit in Jerusalem with the leaders of Israel, India and the United Arab Emirates on July 14. The I2U2 was established last year to boost economic and technological cooperation between the four countries. Photo: AP

Imran Khalid

Published: 3:30am, 25 Jul 2022

The idea for the I2U2 partnership, which derives its name from members India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, is said to have been born last October at the Washington residence of the UAE ambassador during a casual diplomatic get-together.

Nobody anticipated at the time that a simple dinner-table conversation would end up producing a new diplomatic tool for Washington’s efforts to counter China’s influence in the Middle East and West Asia.

But, within just a few months, the I2U2 has taken the shape of a major club. For American diplomacy, the strategic importance of this grouping – purposely flaunted as a West Asian “Quad” – can be gauged from US President Joe Biden’s allocation of a special slot for its inaugural session during his recent Middle East trip.

The first meeting was not held all in-person. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan joined via video conference for the session, which was conducted in Jerusalem where Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid were.

A very different kind of experiment is being conducted by the US to ostensibly encourage joint investment in six mutually identified areas – water, energy, transport, space, health and food security.

But even a cursory glance at the proceedings and scope of the I2U2 would reveal that the Biden administration is deliberately pushing hard and investing in this club to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the region.