On July 31, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced on its website that, in accordance with the annual plan and consensus between China and the UAE, the ‘Falcon Shield-2023’ joint air force training will be held in Xinjiang, China in August.
The aim of the joint air force training is to deepen practical exchange and cooperation between the two militaries, and enhance mutual understanding and trust, as stated by the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
At the regular press conference held on December 29, 2022, Tan Ke, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense, responded to questions about how the Chinese military will strengthen its defense and security cooperation with Arab countries. He noted that in recent years, Sino-Arab military relations have rapidly and healthily developed with both sides sincerely cooperating and moving forward together. This has led to fruitful results in areas like high-level exchanges, military exchanges, joint exercises and training, equipment technology, and personnel training. This cooperation has also improved strategic trust and deepened traditional friendships.
Tan Ke also stated that the Chinese military is willing to continue to deepen practical exchanges and cooperation with the Arab countries’ military.
Days ago, the Middle East Tactical Report, a media outlet that has long been focusing on Middle East affairs, published a report describing how UAE leaders established comprehensive defense cooperation with China, which involves advanced technology transfer and localization as well as cooperation in the intelligent communication field, despite pressure from the US. The report concluded that US pressure cannot stop the UAE from strengthening its relationship with China.
Starting from January this year, the Abu Dhabi government of the UAE has released a series of reports about strategic cooperation with China. These reports comprehensively review the current situation and prospects of cooperation between the UAE and China in defense, economy, trade, and investment, and demonstrate the UAE’s firm determination and confidence in friendly cooperation with China. The reports pointed out that the UAE and China are strategic partners based on common interests and mutual respect, with broad consensus and cooperation space in dealing with global situation changes, advancing the “Belt and Road” construction, and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. They will not be interfered with or influenced by third parties.
The reports also stressed that the UAE will continue to adhere to an independent foreign policy, promote the “Look East” strategy, strengthen cooperation with China in the fields of energy, infrastructure, high technology, and inject new momentum into the economy of both sides and the world.
The US used to be the most important security ally and economic partner of the UAE, with close cooperation in counter-terrorism, anti-nuclear proliferation, and energy security. However, the US attitude towards the UAE has changed significantly during the Trump and Biden administrations. On the one hand, the strategic adjustment of the US in the Middle East, which led to its reduction in military intervention and political investment in the region, shifted its focus to dealing with big power competition such as China and Russia. This made countries in the Middle East, like the UAE, feel abandoned and ignored by the US, and forced them to seek other sources of security guarantees.
On the other hand, the US has shown dissatisfaction and distrust towards the UAE’s independent foreign policy, interfering in regional hotspot issues such as the Middle East nuclear issue and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. For example, in January 2022, the Trump administration announced that it would sell 50 F-35 stealth fighters and 18 drones to the UAE as a reward for its efforts to normalize relations with Israel. However, after the Biden administration came to power, the US suspended this military sales plan to review its impact on security in the Middle East. This move caused dissatisfaction and disappointment in the UAE, which felt that the US had not fulfilled its promise, damaging the trust and cooperation between the two sides.
In addition, the US has threatened to sanction the UAE for buying Chinese weapons and technology in an attempt to weaken the UAE’s relationship with China. The US believes that the UAE’s purchase of Chinese drones, missiles, radars, and other weapons not only violates US export control regulations but also threatens US military superiority and intelligence security in the Middle East. The US also worries that the UAE’s use of Chinese 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other technologies will increase China’s influence on the UAE and damage US economic interests and political influence in the region. Therefore, the US has repeatedly pressured the UAE to stop or limit its military and technical cooperation with China, or face sanctions or punishment.