China tries to improve Beijing's 'image' in Gulf region amid tensions with US

The Chinese Embassy in Kuwait is trying to improve Beijing's image and has hired a team of experts who are contacting Kuwaiti journalists to provide feedback regarding China, its economic policies and ongoing tensions between Beijing and Washington with respect to the Taiwan issue, The Singapore Post reported. Kuwaiti media has been considering the moves as "investigations" instead of surveys.

However, contrary to China's attempts, many journalists in Kuwait have been reluctant to participate in any such exercise carried out by the Chinese Embassy. The team hired by Beijing has been told to interview Kuwaiti officials, local experts and scholars on different issues, including China Arab Cooperation Forum Framework, ties between China and Kuwait, China-US tensions and views about Beijing.

China is also making efforts to analyse its popularity concerning Beijing's tensions with the US over the Taiwan issue, as per the report. It is pertinent to note here that the tensions between US and China have increased US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. 

China might also be planning to hold similar exercises in other Middle East nations as Beijing is trying to have more allies in the region, it is being said. This is not the first time that Beijing has tried to influence media in Kuwait. China was earlier criticised for making Kuwait-based media outlet Arab Times delete an already published interview with the Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu.

According to The Singapore Post, several Chinese media outlets have been publishing articles that highlight the relations between China and Kuwait. Apart from this, some Chinese media houses have started their offices in Indonesia to recruit local journalists for publishing news articles in the local language.

China-US ties 

The ties between China and US have been strained after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on 2 August. Moments after Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called visit a "serious violation" of the one-China principle and stressed that it has a "severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations." 

In response to Pelosi's visit, China launched military drills around Taiwan and announced cancelling the China-US Theater Commanders talks, Defence Policy Coordination Talks (DPCT) and other cooperation between the two nations. 

After Pelosi's visit, the US delegation led by Ed Markey travelled to Taiwan and held a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. According to AP, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb on August 22, met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen after he arrived in Taiwan for a four-day visit.  

Image: AP