The I2U2: China’s Increasing Role in the Middle East and Geostrategic Implications on India

In the present era, the concept of minilateralism has emerged as an essential instrument of the attainment of a country’s strategic interests. Consequently, the global world is shifting from multilateral alliances to minilateral groupings. The article analyzes the emergence of a minilateral construct and the formation of minilateral platform I2U2. The newly established quadrilateral group I2U2, which includes India, Israel, the UAE and the United States, is called ‘the Middle East Quad.’ The economic partnership is aimed at utilizing the different sector capacities of member countries to counter shared challenges that have occurred in the past few years. Six key areas, such as energy, food security, water, space, technology, and transportation, are considered for multilateral cooperation and collaboration among member countries. In addition, the article examines changing bilateral equations of member countries. Besides this, the article also highlights the geostrategic prominence of the I2U2, referring to Beijing’s strengthening footprint in the Middle East. In recent decades, the US’s receding attitude towards the Persian Gulf region has created a vacuum between Middle Eastern countries and the United States. The gap has allowed China and other powers such as Russia, India, Egypt, and South Korea to engage in diverse sectors with Gulf countries. Moreover, the article sheds light on the I2U2 grouping’s geostrategic implications on India. The article also analyzes India’s multi-alignment policy and its repercussions on India’s strategic interest in the Middle East.