Should the West Worry about the Strategic Cooperation Between UAE and China?

In his first speeches as president of the United States, Joe Biden spoke about his country’s future foreign policy, announcing the end of US military support for the Saudi-UAE intervention in Yemen.

Biden said on February 4, 2021, that “Washington may stop sales of weapons that could be used in conducting their operations [Saudi Arabia and the UAE] in Yemen.”

Abu Dhabi’s moves followed that date in several axes, especially the Chinese axis, in which the rulers of the Emirates saw an outlet to override Washington’s measures, but rather increased cooperation with Beijing in economic, military, and political fields, and went further to achieve cultural cooperation.

These moves worried Washington and the European Union, especially since the UAE market is linked to wide partnerships with major Western companies, which depend on the Gulf state to enlarge its investments and its strategic expansion in the Middle East.

Opening its Gates

Concerns are growing in Washington about the increasing reflection of the rapprochement between the UAE and China in strategic areas, and Beijing’s alliances with members of the ruling Al Nahyan family in the Emirates.

The French publication Intelligence Online, which specializes in intelligence affairs, published on April 7, 2021, that “Group 42, the UAE company owned by the UAE national security advisor Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and other family-owned companies, has become closer to China in several strategic areas.”

The French publication set an example with “the Royal Diamond Plus, which is officially owned by Khalifa bin Khalid bin Ahmed Al Hamed, son of Ahmed bin Hamed Al Nahyan, the first UAE minister of information, and the close advisor to Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”

The Royal Diamond recently entered into a partnership with the Chinese company operating in the oil and gas field “Cathay Financial Holding”, which is headed by Chinese Hong-Tu Tsai. The publication added that the main objective behind this is to “establish a ‘Cathay General Trading’ company, which will be based in Abu Dhabi.”

Intelligence Online highlighted that “the presence of Royal Diamond as a partner to China provides a guarantee for the presence of a member of the royal family in Abu Dhabi as a local sponsor, especially since for many years, it was headed by the financial advisor, Zulfiquar Ghadiyali, who is close to prominent figures in the royal family, and who have previously worked in the Tahnoun bin Zayed family office.”

For many years, the UAE “Royal Diamond” was the local partner of Western defense and industrial firms, including Rolls-Royce, BMW, Italian Iveco, and the Russian railway company TransMach Systems.

The UAE company was also a major partner of the British security giant “G4S,” and in France, “Royal Diamond” owns the industrial tools company “Sudeep Cohil.”

More recently, Royal Diamond branched into the cyber sector by acquiring stakes in Magnoos Information Systems in Dubai.

“Magnoos” supplies to a number of UAE enterprises that are partially owned by the state, such as the “Etisalat” company and the “Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.”

Therefore, the entry of this company and other UAE companies into a broad partnership with the Chinese companies, that have recently swept the UAE market, raises concern and suspicion from Washington and the West, especially since cooperation between Beijing and Abu Dhabi has gone far.

Chinese Arms

The numerous human rights violations of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the Yemen war, as well as Abu Dhabi’s behavior in particular in the agency wars that are taking place in regional arenas, such as Syria and Libya, were a reason to urge the US administration to review arms exports to Abu Dhabi.

Especially since during the era of former US President Donald Trump, a vote in the Senate on December 9, 2019, failed to stop the sale of F-35 warplanes, drones, and advanced weapons worth 23 billion dollars to Abu Dhabi.

In light of these pressures, the UAE ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, announced on December 4, 2020, that it is either to “complete the F-35 deal, or the UAE would seek other countries as a source of armaments,” referring to China, Washington’s archenemy.

On February 11, 2021, the American “Stratfor” website published that “the UAE is weighing alternatives to American weapons,” and stated that “Chinese drones are on the list of Abu Dhabi’s concerns.”

The American platform stated that “the Chinese are an important player in the manufacture of drones, as they are outperforming the Russians. Indeed, the UAE operates Chinese-made drones in Libya, and it was a problem for the Government of National Accord forces before Turkey interfered with strengthening its fleet of drones there.”

On February 13, 2021, CNN reported that “the Americans are taking seriously the challenges that Chinese weapons could create if they find the way open to them in the Middle East, especially the highly effective remote-controlled weapons.” Describing them as "killers that fly like a swarm of bees in a coordinated manner and leaves no one alive.”

CNN further stated that “former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper had previously warned that China was exporting drones to the Middle East that could inflict deadly strikes.”

“Chinese arms manufacturers sell unmanned aerial vehicles that are said to have full autonomy capability, including the ability to carry out targeted killer strikes, as these UAVs carry mortars, grenade launchers, and machine guns, and they auto-form squadrons and launch coordinated strikes.”

The US network indicated that “the dangers of the Chinese UAVs and precision-guided munitions are sparking discussions in Washington, while reports say that the UAE has previously shown interest in them.

“The problem with the United States, in the entry of Chinese weapons into Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is that it will encourage other countries, especially since China does not set political conditions in conjunction with the deals it concludes with these regimes.”

Deeper Relations

Weapons and the economy were not the only issues of concern to the UAE's allies in the West, as cultural and political cooperation was on the rise.

On April 2, 2021, the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Beijing Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri said: “The high-level talks between the two countries have brought new hopes and possibilities for the post-Covid-19 era.”

The relation between the two countries has become a model for global cooperation in the 21st century, according to the Chinese news agency “Xinhua,” as stated by Al Dhaheri.

The ambassador pointed out that “the comprehensive strategic partnership relations between the two countries have developed to include an increasing range of fields of cooperation.”

Including joint projects and initiatives in renewable energy, logistics and infrastructure, and life sciences, as well as next-generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence.

The UAE had sought a special cultural normalization with China, specifically in April 2019, when Abu Dhabi launched the “Highway Gallery” exhibition in its second edition.

Through which the UAE displayed 10 giant 3D sculptures, most notably the Buddha (Chinese deity Siddhārtha Gautama).

What Abu Dhabi ignored at that time was that Beijing is oppressing more than a million Muslims from the Uyghurs minority, in the East Turkestan region (Xinjiang), in the far west of China.