Question

18. THE CONCEPT OF REGIONAL
CO-OPERATION WAS EXPANDED TO
INCLUDE
AS WELL.
AFRICA
O O O
CHINA
WEST-ASIA​

Answer 1

Answer:

Beijing continues to claim its ‘equidistance principle’ remains intact in its West Asia policy. Mr. Xi chose to visit the three most powerful Muslim nations in the region >in his first trip to West Asia as president — Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. These countries are important for China from an economic point of view. China is the world’s largest oil importer. Its demand for imported oil is expected to grow from 6 million barrels a day in 2014 to 13 million barrels a day by 2035. Much of this demand will be met by imports from West Asia. In 2015, Saudi Arabia was China’s largest source of oil. Beijing has also sold intermediate range ballistic missiles and DF-21 ballistic missile system to Riyadh. > Iran is important for the same reason. China would not like to be heavily reliant on Saudi Arabia for energy supplies and an immediate alternative is Iran. Both countries also have strong defence cooperation. Egypt is a major market for China’s machines and electronics industries. Bilateral trade jumped close to 14 per cent in 2014 to $11.62 billion.

While Mr. Xi said during the trip that China would prefer to keep its economic cooperation with these countries intact, the real focus of the visit was not lost on anyone. He was the first world leader to visit Iran after sanctions were lifted following the nuclear deal. In Tehran, he talked about a “new season” of Sino-Iranian ties and a 25-year strategic cooperation plan, committing to increase two-way trade to $600 billion over the next decade. Both countries have agreed to enhance security cooperation through intelligence sharing, counter-terror measures, military exchanges and coordination. Beijing would also support Iran’s full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a China-led regional security framework.

Explanation: