From S.R.
Not everything is hunky dory as preparations are finalized for the BRI summit in October. Beijing has an ambitious agenda that requires lots of changes -- particularly in the Arab world. And that is far from assured.
He said. She said.
"The start of 2023 is very special in terms of growing relations between Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong forging closer economic ties with my country."
Saudi consul-general Hamad Al Jebreen expects an upgrade in strategic relations with Beijing.
Focus
Representatives at the China-Arab States Forum on Reform and Development. [Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry]
Not the Only Game in Town
Nobody likes competition. It gives consumers choices, drives down prices and increases quality.
China doesn't like competition either -- particularly for its Belt and Road Initiative. But despite a decade of feverish activity, BRI is not the only game left in the Middle East market.
Alternatives to BRI have been discussed in Gulf Arab capitals. Unlike their counterparts in the Levant and Maghreb, Gulf Cooperation Council states have the cash to pick and choose. The other Arab countries are often stuck with China to provide financing for major infrastructure projects.
The issue has become vital as China is putting the final touches on a BRI summit. The summit would celebrate a decade of the global Chinese initiative, which has been successful in both the Middle East and throughout Africa.
On Sept. 26, the Chinese Foreign Ministry convened Arab states in a forum to discuss BRI and its future. The China-Arab States Forum on Reform and Development, held in Shanghai, encompassed representatives from 17 Arab countries, including officials, analysts and academics. For the cameras, there were smiles all around. But there are issues that Arab delegates felt must be solved.
The biggest problem has been local employment. Despite frequent assurances, Chinese labor dominates BRI projects in the Middle East. In the Gulf states, most of the infrastructure is built exclusively by Chinese. The local labor force is left out.
The problem has been exacerbated by BRI projects outside the Middle East, particularly in East Asia. There, Beijing has ensured much greater labor participation. In Indonesia, for example, a high-speed railway from Jakarta to Bandung, meant to begin operations imminently, uses seven Indonesians, trained by Beijing, for one Chinese worker. In all, 15,000 people were employed.
That doesn't happen in the Middle East. The result has been complaints and friction in such countries as Algeria, Egypt and Jordan. The expectation that any new project would bring in massive numbers of Chinese has not been welcomed, particularly in countries with high unemployment.
Beijing has offered ways to accelerate Arab training and employment for BRI. The problem is that education in the Arab world remains poor, and that requires much more time to bring locals up to an efficient level.
At the forum, a key theme was modernization. The consensus was that the Arab world needed to modernize and fast if it wanted to exploit the benefits of BRI.
"Arab states are welcome to actively participate in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and make unique and important contribution," Zhai Jun, China's envoy to the Middle East, said.
The idea that China would play a significant role in domestic affairs does not sit well with most Arab states. Take education, for example. Chinese students are pushed hard to learn science and math while in the Arab world Islamic studies mark key components of primary and intermediate schools. The huge gap between Chinese and Arab students are then seen at the university level.
China has sought to reduce the gap by encouraging cooperation with universities in the Arab world. But that could take years if not decades, and nobody wants to wait that long.
Not surprisingly, Gulf Arab states have not allowed BRI to end the Western presence. British, French and U.S. companies remain in the race for big projects if only because when they finish, they take everybody home with them. With China, much of its labor force remains.
In Saudi Arabia, the U.S. giant Bechtel has opened a regional headquarters in Riyad. Bechtel, in the kingdom since 1945, has managed more than 300 projects, including refineries and cities. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said Bechtel has been selected to build the world's largest modern downtown project, called New Murabba, in the capital Riyad.
"This new regional headquarters reflects our strong and long-standing commitment to our customers and partners in the region," Bechtel president Craig Albert said.
Nearly everybody recognizes that the obstacles to expanding BRI in the Arab world will take considerable time and energy.
And that might be asking for too much.
Ticker Tape
...Syria has high hopes in wake of its summit with China. A leading analyst close to Damascus asserted that Beijing would follow the meeting between Presidents Xi Jinping and Bashar Assad with efforts to expand cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative. Refaat Badawi told China's official Xinhua News Agency that Beijing regards Syria as the heart of the Arab world.
...China and Saudi Arabia plan to conduct a counter-insurgency exercise in October. The exercise will be carried by naval forces of the two countries. On Sept. 28, the Chinese Defense Ministry said the exercise will focus on maritime operations, including joint rescue and snipers. This marks the second maneuvers by the two navies and meant to "deepen the pragmatic and friendly cooperation."
...China has opened another direct air link between Shanghai and Turkey. On Sept. 28, China Eastern Airlines flew its first flight to Istanbul, the first link between the two cities. The flight, which lasts 12 hours, is scheduled to take place three times a week -- Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Chinese airline said it plans to serve countries that participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.
...Saudi Arabia has organized a celebration in China that highlighted the Belt and Road Initiative. On Sept. 22, the Saudi consulate in Hong Kong convened a large gathering of diplomats, businessmen and clergy. Saudi consul-general Hamad Al Jebreen, citing closer economic ties, said strategic relations between the two countries were expanding.
...China's King Long has been recognized as an industry leader in transportation. King Long won a $1 million award for the company's self-driving buses at the United Arab Emirates's Dubai World Congress on Sept. 26. The first place winner, which underwent multiple trials, spans six meters and can reach a speed of 69 kilometers per hour. The vehicle, equipped with 27 cameras and sensors, is powered by a battery that can be charged in two hours. King Long beat out Britain's Alexander Dennis and France's Quadribot.