CHINA - Surpassing US Popularity in the Middle East
More young Arabs see China as an ally of their countries than the United States, a survey of regional youth has found.
The US ranks seventh among nations considered as friendly, compared to China, which ranked second in the Arab Youth Survey conducted by Dubai-based public relations firm ASDA’A BCW.
“The perception that the US is strategically pivoting away from the Middle East seems to be trickling down from governments to citizens in the region,” said Anna Jacobs, a senior Gulf analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank. “But this perception should be taken with a grain of salt. US soft power and its role as a security guarantor in the region is nowhere close to being replaced by other global powers like China or Russia.”
Unlike the US, Beijing presents its agenda in the region with a focus on the economy and no strings attached. A 4,000-word joint statement between Saudi Arabia and China in December affirmed they would “defend the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, rules of international law and basic principles of international relations.”
“The Middle East is already an arena of US-China competition, but regional actors have made it clear that they will not be cornered into choosing a side in great power competition,” said Jacobs. “They have too many interests in both the East and the West and feel they must maintain balanced relations with all the great powers.”
Traditionally an economic player in the region, Beijing has however begun venturing into Middle East diplomacy, long seen as an American domain.
-www.cnn.com, 21 June 2023
Arno's Commentary
China is destined to become the world’s largest powerhouse. Already in 2021, China is listed as world leader in manufacturing, at 28.4% of global output (the US a distant 15%).
There is more to come; according to the CIA Factbook, the percentage of China’s workforce involved in agriculture is listed at 7.9%, with the US at 0.7%. That means more Chinese will be added to manufacturing in the future.
Manufacturing is the key, and China is the undisputed number one nation. How important is it? According to Revelation 18, it is manufactured merchandise which the whole world laments and mourns about, because it has come to an end.
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
