China waits in wings as Mecca pact signals Gulf shift away from US security umbrella

The grand security bargain between the United States and Gulf countries is widely perceived to be fraying, creating what analysts see as an opening for Beijing to expand its presence in the region.For decades, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states relied on Washington’s defensive shield, while it in turn relied on them for access, energy and influence.Signed this week in Mecca, the pact declares that an armed attack on one will be treated as an attack on all three, in an echo of Nato’s Article 5.But the significance of the Mecca pact goes beyond a new regional security arrangement. Three middle powers – a Gulf energy giant, a Nato member and nuclear-armed South Asian state – are taking steps to reduce their reliance on US-dominated security architecture and build their own collective defence framework.Such independent alliances among middle powers have been rare since the early Cold War, making the pact a potential model for other countries.It could also complicate matters for countries such as India and prompt them to reassess their own security partnerships.