The Cooperation between China and the Gulf Arab States in the Horn of Africa: From the Perspective of the Global South

Abstract

At present, the unstoppable rise of the Global South countries and their increasing strategic autonomy has become an important perspective to understand the current world pattern and regional cooperation, and also brings complex prospect for competition and cooperation between various forces in the Horn of Africa. As one of the most important extraterritorial forces concerning the situation of the Horn of Africa, the ‘New Cold War’ in the Middle East has brought certain risks to the security situation in the Horn of Africa, while the Gulf Arab States are expected to become active partners in the governance of the Horn of Africa with the arrival of the tide of Middle East reconciliation. Rather than serving as a chessboard or even pieces in the game of external powers in the past, the countries of the Horn of Africa are now trying to enhance their strategic autonomy and strengthen their solidarity to collectively address regional security threats. As an rightful member and key power of the Global South, China has taken the opportunity of establishing a Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs to provide new ideas for non-regional forces to participate constructively in the governance of the Horn of Africa. Strengthening third-party cooperation between China and Gulf Arab States in the Horn of Africa will help transform the negative intervention of non-regional forces into positive cooperation, stimulate the endogenous momentum of change in the region, and promote the development of regional governance in the Horn of Africa in a more balanced direction.