[By Guancha Observer Network, Liu Chenghui] After concluding his visit to three Middle Eastern countries and securing thousands of billions of dollars in agreements, US President Trump "felt elated".

In a Fox News program aired on May 16th, Trump boasted that these countries had been strongly courted by China to align with it, but this situation would not happen anymore. He "was certain" that he had changed this situation.

American scholars pointed out that apart from investment and cooperation in artificial intelligence and security issues, Trump also hoped to see the Gulf states reduce their relations with China, "but such a situation is actually unlikely to occur."

Trump accepting an interview with Fox News

During the interview, Trump repeatedly mentioned China. When asked if he wished to visit China, Trump replied, "Of course." He added that Sino-US relations were "crucial."

Bloomberg noticed that although Trump signaled his desire for engagement with China, he also admitted that this Middle East trip aimed to keep these countries away from Chinese influence.

Talking about the three Arab countries he visited, Trump repeatedly emphasized their importance: this region was crucial, being the world's energy capital, holding massive energy resources as well as other strategic resources.

"As you can see, I know these three leaders very well; I met them before my candidacy. They are all great people; this is a great region, but it has never received proper treatment from the Biden administration."

Trump continued, "They were strongly courted by China because this could permanently solve China's energy problem. Although this was not their first choice, they were moving toward China at that time, but this will no longer happen."

He then said that these countries were "very important and should remain within our embrace."

The host asked, "Do you think you have already changed this situation?"

Trump continued boasting, "No, not 'think', but 'know' (I know). Our relationship with them is closer than ever before, and you can see this change."

On the 15th local time, with Trump and the UAE finalizing a $200 billion agreement, his Middle East tour officially concluded. Trump announced obtaining Saudi Arabia's $600 billion and Qatar's $243 billion investment commitments. Business agreements became the core outcome of his first foreign visit after returning to the White House.

The Hong Kong-based English-language media South China Morning Post reported that during his visit, Trump proposed a Middle East and South Asia peace plan driven by economic cooperation. Analysts said that this strategy includes several measures aimed at curbing China's influence in these regions.

Andreas Krieg, professor of Security Studies at King's College London, told Al Jazeera that Trump's main goals for visiting the Gulf region were threefold: first, to secure tangible commitments from Gulf countries in the form of military-industrial investments and energy cooperation; second, to strengthen diplomatic ties with allies aligned with the "Make America Great Again" movement and maintain American diplomatic influence; third, to reposition Gulf countries as mediators in regional crises from Gaza to Iran, thereby avoiding increased military deployments.

Krieg noted that these were external diplomatic means, but the ultimate driver remained the United States.

In this context, Christian Coates Ulrichson, an international affairs expert at Rice University's Baker Institute in Texas, said, "The US president wants to ensure that Gulf countries invest heavily in the US."

He added that Trump's goal also included "deepening US cooperation with the Gulf region on issues like artificial intelligence and reaching agreements on regional security issues, defense relations, and energy relations."

He pointed out that the US government might also hope to see Gulf countries reduce their relations with China, "but such a situation is actually unlikely to occur."

CNN reported that the three energy-rich countries Trump visited each had long wish lists for the US. Despite these countries spending heavily, the US did not achieve all its goals.

Saudi Arabia hoped to reach a formal security agreement with the US, which clearly did not materialize. Dina Esfandiary, head of Middle East economics at Bloomberg, said, "Saudi Arabia may not have obtained a formal security agreement, but there were extensive discussions around this matter... Therefore, this may not be the end of the process, but rather a continuation of dialogue."

She believed that the US's enthusiasm for a security agreement was not as high as Saudi Arabia's.

The UAE's main objective was to deepen investments in artificial intelligence and technology. Although some results were achieved in this area, the visit failed to meet the UAE's real demands: unrestricted access to advanced US microchips.

On the 15th, as Trump concluded his visit to the three Middle Eastern countries, he accepted media interviews aboard Air Force One. Visual China

America's CNBC summarized Trump's achievements during this trip by saying that despite his constant celebrations of economic diplomacy, he still had to face the reality that two conflicts—Gaza and Ukraine—were ongoing—two conflicts he once vowed to resolve, yet they remain unresolved.

The White House has listed resolving some of the world's most intractable conflicts as a priority task, with Trump himself repeatedly promising to end bloodshed and create lasting peace. To demonstrate his determination, he sent a senior envoy team for global shuttle diplomacy.

However, Trump admitted the difficulties ahead. As Air Force One took off from Abu Dhabi, Trump told reporters traveling with him, "We are closely monitoring the situation in Gaza, and we will handle it properly; there is a severe humanitarian crisis there."

Just as Trump ended his visit, the Gaza Health Department reported that over a hundred people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours. This escalating cycle of violence cast a new shadow over the president's peace promises.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7505249060790944256/

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