President Xi rocks the Arab world, alarms QUAD and the West

That Saudi Arabia’s archrival, the Qatari Emir, left the ongoing World Cup in Doha to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Riyadh showcased the clout of host country in Sunni world and Beijing’s rise as an alternate pole to the US.

The line-up to meet President Xi included Bahrain’s King Hamad, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamin, Fujairah, UAE ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al Sabah and Deputy Prime Minister of Oman Sayyid Fahd Al Said for the China-GCC summit.

President Xi’s Saudi Arabia visit is a wake-up call to QUAD to translate discussions into reality on ground and for India to tighten partnerships from the South China Sea to Gulf of Aden or else the security of Indian Ocean will be in jeopardy.

However, to say that the Middle East has taken the China road is also over interpretation as the leadership in these countries tends to play one side against the other for their own benefits and national interest.