How the UAE is leveraging ties with China for its own security needs

Bilateral relations between China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are changing in scope, with recent developments reflecting a shifting balance of power, in which the United States is no longer seen by Arab Gulf countries as a long-term security shield.

Meanwhile, China’s support for a peaceful resolution over the disputed islands fits into its plan for increasing engagement with the Gulf region. A pragmatic China seeks closer ties to maintain a balancing between competing Middle East powers.

Bilateral ties have indeed been building for years. A US$11 billion project between Beijing Daxing International Airport and Dubai’s Emaar Properties that includes residential and recreational amenities was signed in 2019. More recently, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company have reportedly struck a deal with state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

Meanwhile, China now presents an effective counterbalance, which allows countries like the UAE to pursue a multifaceted foreign policy. Navigating between several big actors requires diplomatic skill, as well as genuine economic and political influence – exactly what the UAE possesses.

The UAE will surely abstain from ditching the US altogether or even scaling down bilateral relations. Instead, it can use the “China card” to extract greater military and economic cooperation with the US, similar to what Saudi Arabia does when it tries to reach a mega deal, such as a formal US security guarantee in exchange for normalising ties with Israel.

The UAE’s increasing gaze towards China also fits into the growing trend of multipolarity and the shift towards a more transactional approach in world affairs. For the UAE, China is a simpler partner, which is not interested in human rights issues or