The world is heading towards a new form of relations between major powers and China’s rapid rise may lead the world towards a new Cold War, similar to the one waged between the United States and the Soviet Union, said Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
“Arab countries may find themselves with greater room to maneuver as the two global forces compete for power, but the race may also impose restrictions on movements as both sides seek to attract allies,” he remarked during an opening address of a scientific forum in Cairo on Thursday.
The Arab World and Future Challenges was organized by the Institute for Arab Research and Studies.
The Arabs must be prepared to confront the rapidly changing developments in the world, Aboul Gheit added.
The competition between China and the US is being managed so that it does not escalate, but errors are always possible – as history can attest – during such tense conditions, he said.
He noted several changes taking place in the world, such the decline of globalization, the rise of populism – as demonstrated in Brexit and the election of Donald Trump as US president. The populist trend will not wane with his recent reelection defeat.
Moreover, he said that Russia boasts a military to be reckoned with and it has aspirations to play a role on the international scene. China may succeed in luring it to work with it as part of a coalition against the West, led by the US.
Furthermore, he said the cyberwars and artificial intelligence-powered guided weapons are new unprecedented challenges.
The Arab world, meanwhile, has endured challenges from its regional neighbors, Aboul Gheit said. He noted that each of Iran and Turkey have ambitions to revive their past empires in the Arab region and are vying to impose their influence.
He lamented that such regional “bullying” will continue for the foreseeable future due to the ideologies that Turkey and Iran follow and their exploitation of “political Islam” to justify their meddling in Arab affairs.
Aboul Gheit stressed that committing to the national state is the salvation for the region and its countries. “We need to convince our neighbors to stop using religion to achieve their national interests,” he urged.
