Trilateral Cooperation of Pakistan-China and Saudi Arabia: US Concerns and Policies

Abstract

This study aims to find the avenues of trilateral cooperation among the three important countries of the West, South and East Asia. Respectively, the three important countries are the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study also tries to address some of the vital security interests of the United States. It is an established fact that after achieving hegemony in the end of the Cold War, US is rapidly using its influence in the different regions of the world and West Asia is one of them. The US has multiple security related interests in this region, therefore, has particularly and closed relationship with Saudi Arabia. However, the rapidly increasing economic prospects soon find common grounds in the economic plans of the three countries, among them China and Pakistan already started to work on their economic corridor project named CPEC, a flagship project of BRI, initiated by China to secure access to the markets of outside world by connecting via land and sea route. The Chinese policy makers envision six such corridors and maritime trade routes to connect with the world similarly the Saudi Arabia unveiled its economic plan by the name of Vision 2030 in 2016. The Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China’s support to the Saudi Arabia’s economic plan in a ceremony held in the honor of the visiting Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman at the great hall of the people at Beijing in China. The blueprint for the economic plans is gradually making its mark as China invested $10 billion dollars, as per DW reports, in the various sectors of Saudi economy. The trio is making good progress in enhancing cooperation in various fields such as agriculture, petroleum and mining. This study also inferred that the role of CPEC is enhanced to incorporate Central Asian Republics. Moreover, this study also finds that significant inroad has been made in incorporating Iran in the broader scheme of these economic plans made by the three countries. This study also enlightens that the increase in trade volume among the trio will xiii uplift the social and economic conditions of all the three countries. This study concludes that there are immense opportunities for the whole region to benefit from the trilateral cooperation which is the beginning of a new era for this region.