UAE successfully managing diplomatic ties with US while separate economic relationship with China

 

UAE - China

The United Arab Emirates is currently in a strategically key position. Though the country is maintaining robust economic relationship with China and India, it is also able to maintain close military and strategic ties with the United States. The independent relationships are quite fulfilling in their own space as the geopolitical changes become more dynamic with each passing event.

 

Clarke Cooper, former US Assistant Secretary of State and current non resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council focusing on the Middle East, lauded the efforts by UAE to maintain strong ties with both China and US during a recent interview.

 

Abraham Accords – a landmark decision

 

Mr. Cooper, who was serving as Assistant Secretary of State in Trump administration at the time of signing of Abraham Accords, lauded the agreements as one of the “most joyful moments in the dark two years of the Covid-19 pandemic”. He added that the accords provided a hopeful direction towards amicable relations in the region while maintaining security, cooperation and bolstering already existing partnerships among participating nations.

 

Commenting on UAE’s continuous exponential growth in past 50 years since its foundation, Mr. Cooper added, “We already know that the UAE is an independent sovereign state. There are a number of leaders in Abu Dhabi who do remember the British era and the transition to Emirati generals. However, if one has to look at a 50 year period, there has been a rapid, almost neck-breaking (looking at the speed) shift the UAE has come from in such a short period of time. Much of that was initially steered by the oil industry, but the UAE has worked very hard to diversify its sources of income and expand its role in the world, the multiversal forums and building bilateral relations. This has been an unprecedented speed for a state to rise in such a short period of time.”

 

Maintaining strong ties with US and China

 

UAE is maintaining strong security cooperation with US while maintaining economic relations with China. The former US diplomat noted, “One of the important things to remember is when it comes to security cooperation, the UAE and US have a well-established and a more maturing level of trust over the years. The first security agreement was back in the 1980s when there was a General Security of Military Information Agreement and fast forward to 2019, the UAE and US have a Defense Cooperation Agreement.”

 

He further noted that UAE is keen to bolster the existing ties with United States. “As the two countries ramp upon trust in each other, there is an increase of capabilities and responsibilities as well. What has been unique and impressive with the UAE is rising to such a position of trust in such a short period of time. There are new levels of expectations from each other,” he added.

 

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