Sunrise in Qatar, a Gulf state, where Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative is being actively realised. Photo: EPA
Opinion
Opinion
Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
Oil is just the start of China’s belt and road interest in the Gulf
Part of the reason for Beijing’s presence in the region is the pressing need to resolve its overcapacity problem, such as in the steel and concrete industries
More than this, the belt and road strategy is also seeking to facilitate the flow of trade and investment with the Gulf, writes Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat is an academic at Universitas Islam Indonesia and is a researcher associate at Jakarta-based Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF). His research focuses on China's foreign policy in Indonesia and the Middle East. He completed his PhD on the Belt and Road Initiatives in the Gulf at the University of Manchester in 2018.