THE GCC region is hedging its bets with the US by developing a multi-layered relationship with China, although most countries in the region still have a preference for the Western superpower, delegates at a top security and defence forum heard yesterday.
During the concluding plenary session of the IISS Manama Dialogue 2023, titled ‘The Future Middle East’, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) analysts offered insights on geo-political dynamics and ambitions, with China identified as a “fundamental” part of the region’s landscape .