摘要
Although the GCC(Gulf Cooperation Council)countries are geographically in Asia,they are closely connected to the US and the West in terms of their strategic alignment.The focus of their relations with Asian countries has been on matters related directly to oil and the liquefied natural gas(LNG)trade and investment.They do not participate in most of the regional organizations in Asia(whether in East Asia or in South and Southeast Asia),whereas some other Middle Eastern countries,such as Turkey,Iran and Israel,are active in these organizations.Even after 2013 when the big shift in the structure of international trade occurred and when,for the first time,China replaced the European Union as the GCC’s main trade partner,they still showed little interest in political/strategic links with Asian countries.The author believes that,although it is important that the GCC countries maintain strong relations with Western countries,they should also strengthen their political,security and cultural ties with Asian countries.This would cohere with their strategic interests in the emerging global order.They should initiate such a move by endeavouring to build strong relations with the regional organizations(security,economic and political)in Asia,such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO).These organizations can serve as stepping-stones to developing closer relations with the states of the region.The mission of the SCO,in particular,aligns well with the interests of the GCC,because it covers a wide range of issues which are of concern to GCC countries such as security and stability,energy,economic cooperation,combating terrorism and extremism,conflict resolution,disaster management,civilizational and religious dialogue and combating epidemics.This article discusses the importance of the SCO to the Gulf countries and explores the reasons why they have so far kept aloof from the organization.Possible challenges arising from cooperation will also be covered.The article concludes with some recommendations for how cooperation between the SCO and the GCC could be developed.
