12月9日在沙特阿拉伯利雅得舉行的首屆中國─海灣阿拉伯國家合作委員會（海合會）峰會（中海峰會）是中國與中東關係的轉捩點。在中國與海灣國家的關係中，國家主席習近平首次接觸到阿拉伯世界的多位領導人，他實踐了非常成功的領導人外交政策，對中國─海灣國家合作具有重要意義。
12月9日，習近平同沙特阿拉伯王儲兼首相穆罕默德、卡塔爾埃米爾（國王）塔米姆、巴林國王哈馬德、科威特王儲米沙勒、阿曼副首相法赫德、阿聯酋富查伊拉酋長沙爾基和海合會秘書長納伊夫一起出席峰會。
習主席的主旨講話內容值得我們關注。
習強調中海關係 建基於合作共贏
首先，他以外交禮節對沙特阿拉伯主辦中海峰會表示感謝，強調中國與海灣國家近2000年的友好交往歷史。習近平指出，從1981年海合會成立開始，中國就在團結互助、合作共贏的基礎上主動與海合會建立聯繫。
其次是習近平巧妙地強調了尊重彼此主權、獨立、互不干涉內政、發展道路、平等和捍衛多邊主義。習近平在外交政策演講及與各國交往中頻繁使用多邊主義概念。
第三，習主席提醒海合會國家領導人注意中國廣闊的市場，雙方能夠並將加強合作，實現經濟多元化發展──這是對海合會國家的重要激勵，因為中國市場廣闊，也考慮到一些海合會國家採取更加獨立自主的外交政策的需要。
第四，他回顧中國和海合會國家在應對金融危機、新冠病毒大流行和其他自然災害方面的互相合作。
文化紐帶促進發展 成為中國外交戰略
第五，習近平話鋒一轉，談到未來幾年的具體合作領域，包括2021年9月中國在聯合國提出全球發展倡議，以及如何落實2030年可持續發展議程。 事實上，全球發展倡議對減貧、公共衛生和性別平等的重視，緊扣2030 年可持續發展議程。因此，中國和海合會國家在維護可持續發展方面的合作具有共同利益。中國所強調的顯示習近平和他的外交政策智囊，如何巧妙地利用全球發展倡議作為統戰工作的工具，以贏得海合會國家的人心。
第六，隨着習近平時代中國將安全的定義從傳統領域擴大到公共衛生等非傳統領域，習近平強調維護海灣地區和平與安全的必要性，很容易吸引海合會國家導人並贏得他們的支持。
第七，習近平的外交政策一直強調中國與海合會國家的文化交流。他在12月9日的講話中指出了「東方文明的深厚精髓」，因此中國和海合會國家都能夠並將會為人類文明的發展作出貢獻。選擇文化紐帶促進文明發展已成為習近平領導下中國外交政策的戰略。他還補充說，中國將與海合會國家的300所大學和中小學合作，加強中文教育。 雙方將舉辦舉辦語言文化論壇，深化文化交流互鑑。
在過去幾年許多孔子學院因推廣中國文化和價值觀而受到西方世界反華傳媒和政客的攻擊之後，習近平對海合會國家的新外交政策是重新包裝中國語言和文化教育，進行另一種形式的文化交流互鑑。
提倡油氣人幣結算 共同開發潔淨能源
第八，在實務方面，習近平表示，中國將繼續從海合會國家擴大進口原油、液化天然氣，同時同時加強工程服務、儲運、物流、精煉油氣等方面的雙邊合作。
最重要的是，習近平強調，上海石油天然氣交易平台將用於油氣貿易的人民幣結算。中國還將與海合會國家合作開發清潔低碳技術，包括氫能、儲能、太陽能和光伏發電、智能電網、新能源設備生產、和平利用核技術等。
因此，中國國家主席採取了雙管齊下的策略來贏得海合會國家的心：以人民幣作為結算貨幣將有利人民幣國際化，並以技術發展作為粘合劑將中國更緊密聯繫海合會國家。
第九，習近平提到中國與海合會國家將在金融監管方面開展合作，成立共同投資聯合會，支持雙方主權財富基金以多種方式開展合作，為阿拉伯人進入中國資本市場提供便利。 雙方還將在數字經濟、綠色發展、數字貨幣等領域開展合作。
第十，在創新科技和航天合作領域，習近平強調，中國願與海合會國家共建大數據和雲計算中心，加強5G和6G技術合作，發展跨境電子商務和通訊網絡。 中國與海合會國家在遙感和通信衛星、空間應用、航天基礎設施、航天員選拔訓練等領域開展合作。按照習近平的計劃，將建立中國—海合會月球與深空探測聯合中心。中國的這些努力在太空探索和航天技術的共同發展方面對海合會國家具有吸引力──雙贏的方案贏得了海合會國家的支持。
海合會國家領導人對習近平講話反響熱烈。沙特王儲穆罕默德表示，當前世界面臨諸多風險和挑戰，需要各方團結應對。他盛讚習近平主席領導下，中國取得巨大發展成就，成為引領全球治理的重要先進力量。王儲表示，海合會國家都希望加強對華合作，希望通過此次峰會規劃未來海中合作重點領域，推動雙方在基礎設施、衛生、能源等領域合作取得更多成果，更好應對糧食危機、能源危機等全球性挑戰。峰會最後發表聯合聲明，通過了2023至2027年雙方戰略對話行動計劃。
習主席高調訪問中東似乎引起了美國的警覺，美國與沙特的關係最近因在石油生產和人權問題上的分歧而受到影響。 國家安全委員會戰略通訊協調員柯比說：「我們注意到中國正試圖在世界範圍內擴大影響力。」
事實上，在12月8日習主席與穆罕默德王儲會談時，雙方同意建立戰略性夥伴關係，每兩年輪流舉行一次高層領導會議。 雙方簽署了通過司法、教育、投資和住房合作建設「一帶一路」倡議的協議。 中方將通過汽車、能源、石化、礦業、科技等領域合作，幫助沙特阿拉伯建設綠色中東。
作為回報，沙特宣布不僅支持一個中國原則，也支持中國維護主權、安全和領土完整的努力。此外，它反對外國以人權為名干涉中國內政。習近平的新外交政策贏得了沙特阿拉伯領導人的歡心，顯然是相當成功的。
總之，中國對海灣國家的新外交政策一直在將合作範圍擴大到所有領域，包括經濟、教育、文化、技術和可持續發展領域。經濟上，人民幣作為結算貨幣在中國─海合會互動中廣泛使用的試驗，將成為加快人民幣國際化進程的里程碑。對於中國進軍中東，其主要競爭對手美國自然關注。但是，如果世界要走向多極化，而不是被原來由美俄主導的兩極世界所主導，那麼習近平主席對海合會國家的訪問，標誌着在國際政治的新世界中，美國的軟實力已經不可逆轉地衰退。
China’s New Foreign Policy Toward the Gulf States
The first Sino-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit held in Riyadh on December 9 was a turning point in the relations between China and the Middle East. For the first time in China’s relations with the Gulf states, the Chinese President Xi Jinping reached out to various leaders of the Arab world, and he has conducted a highly successful presidential foreign policy with significant implications for Sino-Gulf collaboration.
President Xi on December 9 attended the Summit with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait, Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said of Oman, Ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammad Al Sharqi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and GCC Secretary-General Nayef Al Hajraf.
The content of the keynote speech delivered by President Xi deserves our attention.
First, he diplomatically expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabi for hosting the Sino-GCC Summit, emphasizing the two millennia in the historical relations between China and the Gulf states. President Xi pointed to China’s initiative to establish contacts with the GCC once it began in 1981 on the basis of solidarity, mutual aid and win-win cooperation.
Second the President skilfully stressed the respect of each other’s sovereignty, independence, non-interference in domestic affairs, developmental path, equality, and the defence of multilateralism. The concept of multilateralism has been frequently used by the Chinese President in his foreign policy speeches and contacts with various countries.
Third, President Xi alerted the Gulf leaders to the vast Chinese market so that both sides can and will forge closer cooperation and embrace economic diversification – an important incentive to the Gulf states given the vastness of the Chinese market and given the need for some Gulf states to adopt a more independent foreign policy.
Fourth, he reminded how China and the Gulf states have been cooperating with each other in dealing with financial crises, the Covid-19 pandemic, and other natural disasters.
Fifth, the Chinese President turned to concrete areas of collaboration in the coming years, including China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) that he unveiled in the United Nations in September 2021 and how the GDI can match the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In fact, the GDI’s emphases on poverty alleviation, public health provision and gender empowerment match the 2030 Agenda. As such, China and the Gulf states have the common interest in forging collaboration in maintaining sustainable development. The Chinese emphases show how President Xi and his foreign policy advisers skilfully utilize the GDI as a tool of united front work to win the hearts and minds of the Gulf states.
Sixth, as China under Xi Jinping era has widened the definition of security from traditional to non-traditional areas, like public health, the President’s emphasis on the need to maintain peace and security in the Gulf region could easily appeal to the Gulf leaders and win their support.
Seventh, President Xi’s foreign policy has been emphasizing cultural exchanges between China and the Gulf states. His speech on December 9 pointed to the “rich values of Eastern civilizations” so that both China and the Gulf states can and will contribute to the development of human civilizations. The choice of cultural bonds to enhance civilizational development has become strategic in the foreign policy of China under Xi Jinping. He also added that China would cooperate with three hundred universities, middle and primary schools in the Gulf states to enhance Chinese language education. There will be cultural and language forums on both sides to deepen cultural exchanges and mutual learning.
After many Confucian Institutes were criticized by the anti-China media and politicians in the Western world for propagating the Chinese cultures and values in the past several years, President Xi Jinping’s new foreign policy toward the Gulf states is to repackage the Chinese language and cultural education in another form through cultural exchanges and mutual learning.
Eighth, on the practical side, President Xi remarked that China would continue to import large quantities of crude oil from GCC states and purchase more Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), apart from the need to strengthen mutual cooperation in engineering services, storage, transportation and the refinery of oil and gas.
Most importantly, President Xi stressed that the Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange platform will be used for Renminbi settlement in oil and gas trade. China will also cooperate with the Gulf states in developing clean and low-carbon technologies that involve hydrogen, energy storage, win and photovoltaic power, smart power grids, the production of new energy equipment, and the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Hence, the Chinese President adopted a two-pronged strategy to win the hearts and minds of Gulf states: using Renminbi (RMB) as an exchange currency that will lead to the internationalization of RMB and utilizing technological development as a glue that will bind China closer to the Gulf states.
Ninth, President Xi mentioned that China and GCC countries would cooperate on financial regulation, set up a joint investment commission, support sovereign wealth funds from both sides, and facilitate the Arabian entry into the Chinese capital market. Cooperation will also be forged in the areas of digital economy, green development, and digital currency.
Tenth, in the realm of high-tech and aerospace cooperation, the Chinese President emphasized that China is ready to build big data and cloud computing centres with the Gulf states, strengthen 5G and 6G technological innovation, the develop e-commerce and communications network in Gulf states. New breakthroughs in aerospace cooperation can be seen in China’s outreaching efforts and projects with the Gulf states in dealing with remote sensing, communications satellites, space utilization and aerospace infrastructure. The China-GCC joint centre for lunar and deep space exploration will be established, according to President Xi’s plans. All these Chinese efforts are attractive to the Gulf states in terms of the co-development of space exploration and aerospace technology – a win-win situation that earns the support of Gulf states.
The responses of the leaders of Gulf states to President Xi’s speech were warm. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that the risks and challenges in the world require the solidarity of all parties and countries concerned. He praised President Xi for making China to achieve great progress in its development and becoming “a progressive force” in leading global governance. Prince Salman said that the Gulf states look forward to cooperating with China in all areas, including infrastructure development, public health, energy, food security, the maintenance of “a more just and reasonable international order,” and the promotion of regional peace. At the end of the Summit, both sides issued a joint declaration to approve an action plan for the strategic dialogue of both sides from 2023 to 2027.
President Xi’s high-profile visit to the Middle East appeared to raise the alarm of the US, whose relations with Saudi Arabia have recently affected by their opinion difference over the question of oil production and the issue of human rights. John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator at the National Security Council, said: “We’re mindful of the influence that China is trying to grow around the world.”
In fact, on December 8, when President Xi talked with Prince Salman, both sides agreed to forge strategic partnership and to hold high-level leadership meeting once every two years in a rotational basis. Both sides signed an agreement to build up the Belt and Road Initiative through judicial, educational, investment and housing cooperation. China will assist Saudi Arabia in developing a green Middle East through automobile, energy, petrochemical, mining, and technological collaboration.
In return, Saudi Arabia announced that it supports not only the one-China principle but also China’s efforts at protecting its sovereignty and security and territorial integrity. Moreover, it opposes foreign intervention in China’s internal affairs in the name of human rights. Xi Jinping’s new foreign policy of winning the hearts and minds of the Saudi Arabian leaders was clearly quite successful.
In conclusion, China’s new foreign policy toward the Gulf states has been widening the scope of cooperation to all areas, embracing economic, educational, cultural, technological and sustainability realms. Economically, the experiment with the wider use of Renminbi as an exchange currency in Sino-Gulf interactions is going to be a landmark speeding up the process of the RMB internationalization. In response to the inroads made by China in the Middle East, its major competitor, namely the US, has naturally raised its eyebrows. However, if the world is going to be multipolar rather than being led by the formerly bipolar world dominated only by the US and Russia, then President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Gulf states has already marked the irreversible decline of the American soft power in the new world of international politics.
原刊於澳門新聞通訊社（MNA）網站，本社獲作者授權轉載。網址：https://www.macaubusiness.com/opinion-chinas-new-foreign-policy-toward-the-gulf-states/
