ISLAMABAD: China’s participation in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) council of foreign ministers’ conference is a historic first because this had happened at a time when the footprint of the United States in southwest Asia and Middle East was shrinking.

This was pointed out by Senate Defence Committee Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed on Tuesday as he spoke to participants of a webinar hosted by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) titled ‘Whole Process People’s Democracy: Understanding the Chinese System’. The event coincided with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s participation in the meeting.

Senator Mushahid said the Chinese foreign minister’s participation was made possible because of the close coordination between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The Chinese foreign minister’s participation was, moreover, a recognition of China’s longstanding relationship and support to the Muslim world.

In the context of changing geopolitics, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said China was emerging as a key player in the Muslim world and this role was being enhanced due to its ties with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

He lauded the strategic shift in Saudi Arabia’s policies, both domestic and foreign, especially liberalisation and opening up in Saudi society, economy, culture, plus policies curbing religious extremism and promotion of women’s rights, as well as improvement in Saudi Arabia’s relations with Iran and Turkey.

Senator Mushahid saw the emergence of a “strategic triangle” between Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia, could play a pivotal role in strengthening unity, economic development and connectivity in the Muslim world.

He attributed Riyadh’s strategic shift in the Saudi foreign policy to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) and recalled that Saudi Arabia and China were discussing the sale of oil in Chinese currency, instead of the US dollar. President Xi is likely to visit Saudi Arabia later this year.

Speaking on the occasion, former ambassador to China Masood Khalid, who served in Beijing for six years, said China had developed its own model of law-based state governance, adopting global best practices, in which democracy entailed prosperity and a consultative process.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2022