Beyond blocs: global views on China and US-China relations

In this MERICS Paper on China experts from Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey describe those countries’ perspectives on China. They provide insights in their respective countries' relations with China in terms of economics, security, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and explain their respective reactions to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

You can access the web version of individual chapters via the table of contents below or download a PDF version here:

by Jacob Gunter and Helena Legarda

As the underlying fabric of the rules-based global system gets stretched – between the US and its partners, China and its growing list of friends, and everyone else in the middle – the sense that a two-bloc world gradually re-emerging is greater than at any time since the Cold War. Countries all over the world are attempting to respond to shifting global dynamics and a rising China. It is of major importance to understand how actors outside the usual grouping of rich, liberal market economies view this changing ecosystem. Read more

by Anu Anwar

China’s position towards Bangladesh has evolved over the last 50 years from hostility into a reluctant embrace and is now a “strategic partnership.” Current Bangladesh-China relations rest on a mix of pragmatism, strategic ambiguity, and political accommodation. Bangladesh and China have built a deep interdependence which is tilting increasingly in China’s favor. Read more

by Pamela Aróstica Fernández

Chile was a pioneer in Latin America’s relationships with China. It has the highest number of instruments of association and cooperation with China at the Latin American level and built the bilateral relationship around pragmatism and economic cooperation. The pragmatic trend is likely to continue, though Chile’s asymmetrical relations with China may well be accentuated under President Gabriel Boric’s left-wing government. China’s presence in Chile will continue to grow. However, public opinion is also shifting and has become increasingly critical of the relationship. Read more

by Evi Fitriani

Indonesia’s relations with China have swung sharply during the last 70 years, veering from close allies to enemies, to distant associates, to their current close partnership. The two strongest factors shaping Indonesia’s relations with China today are domestic politics and the long-established Chinese diaspora, which has often played a part in promoting, or impeding, their country’s relations with China. Read more

by Oyuna Baldakova

As one of Kazakhstan’s biggest trading partners and investors, China has prioritized the economic relationship over the military one. However, China is becoming more interested in acting as a security provider in Central Asia. China’s increasing presence in Kazakhstan has provoked concern among expert groups and the wider public, though Kazakhstan’s authoritarian regime makes it hard for public opinion to shape policy. Read more

by Oscar M. Otele

China and Kenya have a relationship of enhanced economic cooperation, though the trade balance heavily favors China and concerns over debt sustainability have grown with Chinese lending. Closer economic ties have paved the way for more security cooperation. However, the resulting geopolitical rivalry risks exacerbating political fragmentation in East Africa and the Horn of Africa as countries align themselves with either the West or China. Read more

by Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi

Nigeria has the largest population and biggest economy in Africa, yet, it is confronted with serious challenges. About 80 million of Nigeria’s 200+ million people live in poverty. Within that context, Nigeria-China relations are dominated by economic considerations. China is a major investor and an alternative to other sources of development finance like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other bilateral lenders; it has become Nigeria’s largest bilateral lender. Read more

by Naser Al-Tamimi

Over the last thirty years, Sino-Saudi political, economic and military ties have deepened. Saudi Arabia has become China’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and China’s top global supplier of crude oil. Sino-Saudi defense ties remain limited in scope, despite greater bilateral economic and diplomatic engagement. Saudi Arabia is unlikely now, or in the immediate future, to turn to China as a military replacement for the US as good relations with Washington remain a key foreign policy objective. Read more

by Kadir Temiz

Sino-Turkish bilateral relations have deepened since the two countries upgraded their relationship to a “strategic partnership” in 2010, particularly in the economic field. However, their diplomatic status quo rests on two factors. First, the continued strengthening of economic ties. And second, a tacit understanding not to bring political disagreements to the table. All diplomatic activities are designed to protect this status quo. Read more

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Ford Foundation grant and is licensed to the public subject to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.