Triangular Dynamics: US Response to China’s Assertiveness in the Middle East

Abstract

New dynamics govern today’s Middle East politics. At a time when Beijing has become a major player and the US perceives China as the sole credible threat to its global primacy, many Middle Eastern states play a triangulation game, offsetting Washington’s pressure with deepening ties with China. In response, the US now sees the region through the prism of managing its rivalry with Beijing. The Biden administration’s strategy is to identify key allies and integrate them into small networks to help protect American interests against Chinese influence. However, with such a strategy the US is setting itself up for frequent setbacks. Since those coalitions, based on the Abraham Accords, bypass the Palestinian issue, America’s Arab allies often find themselves faced with escalation in the occupied territories, thus derailing the work of such networks. Besides, many of America’s Middle East allies have no intention of getting embroiled in the US–Chinese tension.