OpinionThe Middle East offers US, China some common ground to cooperate on anti-terrorism and security

The Alaska talks highlighted tensions between Washington and Beijing, but they could collaborate on shared interests in the Middle East: anti-terrorism and security

China will benefit from a US return to the Iran nuclear deal, while its Belt and Road Initiative and Digital Silk Road can prosper only in a safe environment

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China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi poses with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Saturday. Photo: AP

Published: 6:45pm, 29 Mar 2021Updated: 7:33pm, 29 Mar 2021

Following the first high-level US-China talks of the Biden administration, Beijing’s top diplomats are now on a six-country swing through the Middle East.

Among the stops are Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran. While the talks with the US in Alaska seemed an exercise in futility, marked by a fiery exchange of accusations, the Chinese diplomatic tour of the Middle East shows another side of the coin: how Beijing’s and Washington’s overlapping interests in the region could provide solid ground for cooperation.

China is rapidly expanding its economic footprint in the Middle East, but paradoxically, it is this push that will give rise to opportunities for collaboration with the US.

The meeting between Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi took place at the site of the planned city of Neom. With a price tag of US$500 billion, the futuristic city is a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification push. When completed, the mega-project aims to blend cutting-edge technology, big data and Artificial Intelligence to create a so-called “cognitive city”. China is set to benefit from the opportunities Neom presents, in much the same way it has already done in neighbouring Dubai’s push to build a smart city, but on a much larger scale.