China has entered the technology, mining and energy sectors in resource-rich West Asian nations which enjoy wide-ranging ties with India.
Oil-rich Kuwait is expanding its tech sector partnership with China, with its leading operator, Zain Kuwait, successfully completing 5.5 G trials in collaboration with Chinese telecom firm Huawei last month, according to people aware of the development. Kuwaiti telecom operator Ooredoo has also partnered with Huawei in providing network infrastructure service .. In another development, Chinese state media has made some headway in the local media sector in Kuwait by offering “financial incentives”, according to people in the know.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia, which is launching several initiatives to modernise its economy, is opening its mining sector to China. A Saudi-Chinese joint consortium is set to invest about $30 million in exploration of copper and zinc mining in the Kingdom’s Madinah province, according to people with knowledge of the matter. ..
Significantly, unlike in other West Asian nations, China has faced a setback in the United Arab Emirates, whose AI agency has decided to sever ties with Chinese suppliers of hardware such as chips and processors allegedly under advice from the United States.
In Saudi Arabia, however, China is also making inroads in the infrastructure sector. China State Construction Engineering Corporation has been awarded a $2 billion contract for construction of buildings and infrastructure in Saudi cities.
In Bahrain, China has offered to develop the country’s space sector. Two space agencies are said to be exploring joint cooperation in peaceful exploration of space, exchange of data and information in joint projects and cooperation in the development of satellites.
Syria, where China has made inroads to assist in “rebuilding”, is seeking China’s assistance to develop the country’s oil and mineral resources sector. The two sides held a meeting last month for cooperation in the oil sector.
