Introduction: At the beginning of the 21st century, the new orientation of the great powers and their greater attention to economic interests in the world's strategic regions has caused them to compete with each other. The Persian Gulf is one of the regions that, from the point of view of geoeconomic theories, is the most international region in the world, which provides consumer markets and huge economic investments, vast resources and a suitable environment for playing the role of regional and transregional actors in the form of conflict, cooperation and competition. Among regional and transregional actors in West Asia, the People's Republic of China has an increasing need for oil, capital and the Persian Gulf consumer market to continue its economic growth. In this regard, in the last century, China has sought to expand its presence in the Persian Gulf region and has gradually increased its political presence and activities, and has sought to ensure the security of energy imports from the Persian Gulf to compete with the great powers in the region; As a result, it can be said that the examination of the nature of the interests of the People's Republic of China in the Persian Gulf region indicates three major areas in which the interests of the Persian Gulf countries and China are linked to each other, and the process of economic diplomacy of this country with the heartland of the Persian Gulf has been added day by day. These three areas are the discussion of political-military links and the priority of energy and finally commercial and economic interests. Since China, as an emerging power and with a strategic attitude, in recent years has shown its desire to play a different role than in the past, this article tries to make an accurate assessment of the interests of the Persian Gulf countries with China in the future of the new order. This article seeks to answer the question, what factors have effectively determined China's economic diplomacy in the Persian Gulf subsystem in the 21st century? This article believes that the regional competition in the Persian Gulf subsystem in two parts, the intra-regional competition between the countries of the region and the competition between the great powers in this region, has provided the necessary conditions to facilitate China's economic diplomacy in this region.
Methodology: This article has collected data using library and internet method to evaluate its claim. In terms of data analysis, relying on the descriptive-explanatory method, it has first described the trends of increasing China's interactions in the Persian Gulf subsystem in different subject areas, and then to understand and explain this improvement of relations by using the regional balancing approach, the platforms It has examined the existing competition in the region at two levels, the competition of regional powers and the competition of extra-regional powers in the Persian Gulf subsystem.
Results and discussion: China, as a trans-regional power, has tried not to interfere in the security order of the region and to introduce itself as an economic player in the region. It has managed to gain the trust of the Persian Gulf countries and become the most important trading partner of the Arab countries and Iran in the region; By applying the policy of regional balancing between the existing powers in the Persian Gulf subsystem, China has been able to recognize the dualities in the region and design a special strategy to interact with each of these conflicting poles, while maintaining a balance in the interaction with each of the existing powers. China is trying to increase its power softly and by expanding its economic power all over the world in the long run, it will push America aside and become a dominant hegemon. In this regard, with its dominance and influence in the Persian Gulf, it has implemented successful economic diplomacy in this region, and the evidence indicates that Beijing has been able to surpass its most important regional competitor, the United States of America, in economic indicators, and has attracted the attention of other powers as well. Therefore, Beijing feels threatened by any of the other trans-regional powers that have an effective presence in the Persian Gulf and is forced to use the advantage of its presence in the Persian Gulf over the presence of other powers, including India, by updating comprehensive strategic plans and cooperation with the major countries of the region.
Conclusion: China advances its relations with the kingdoms of the Persian Gulf by relying on cooperative diplomacy instead of resorting to the policy of alliance because China does not seek to upset the balance of the region and intensify the existing bipolarity in the region and benefits from the existing regional competition between the Persian Gulf countries because he knows that she has neither the will nor the capacity to play the role of the United States in the region; Therefore, by using the strategic opportunity to create regional balance and by carrying out projects such as the belt and road and securing its energy portfolio from the region, it seeks to strengthen Beijing's position. What is important is the future of the interactions of the countries of the Persian Gulf region, which mainly, along with the strategic partnership with the United States, have also put establishment of relations with other powers in order to protect themselves against threats and rapidly change the balance of power. This policy aims to use China as an additional source to gain political, economic and even military support, as well as exploit relations with Beijing to pressure Washington to adjust its policies. In line with its interests, the region also affects the totalitarianism of the United States in this subsystem, and by using soft power tools, it directs the balancing of power in the region in the direction of its goals; Therefore, it seems that the regional competitions in the Persian Gulf subsystem in two parts, intra-regional competitions between the countries of the region and the competition between the great powers in this region have provided the necessary conditions to facilitate China's economic diplomacy in this region.