ABSTRACT
The Gulf regional security complex is shaped by intense competition between regional states and US military preponderance. American security cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council member states has sustained a status quo that has allowed the Asian countries studied in this Special Issue – China, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea – to advance their interests without significant contributions to regional stability. As the US signals intentions to reduce its security commitments to the region, the perception of hegemonic retreat will influence the external partnerships Gulf states choose as well as the regional policies that these Asian countries will adopt. A further consideration is the ‘great power competition’ narrative that is driving politics at the systemic level. The US–China bilateral relationship will have a significant impact on extra-regional powers’ approach to the Gulf.
