China does not need to replace the US in the Gulf

China’s diplomatic calendar this year reflects its growing international weight. A succession of prominent leaders has travelled to Beijing, including those from the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, South Korea, Pakistan and Jordan.The recent visit by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to China, as well as visits by high-level officials from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia earlier this year, confirm Beijing’s expanding role in the Gulf.The region, which has traditionally aligned with the US, is seeing growing competition between the two powers. But this rivalry does not mean that China is seeking to replace the US. It is approaching the region through trade and technology – something that fits into the Gulf’s own economic and development interests.The US model China does not wantThe US remains the Gulf’s most important external military partner. Its defence partnerships, intelligence ties, weapons systems, naval capabilities, and military presence remain central to regional security.For years, Washington has measured Chinese influence against its own military power. By those standards, China remains far from...