Trump reverses course on Middle East tech policy, but will it be enough to counter China?
Share this @internewscast.com

President Donald Trump successfully negotiated deals worth $2 trillion with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE during his recent visit to the Middle East. Some suggest these agreements are efforts to curb China’s influence in the region.

China has been strengthening its economic connections with leading Middle Eastern countries, who have been careful not to take sides amidst the rising geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing. In response, Trump may be trying to gain a competitive advantage for the U.S.

However, concerns have arisen since Trump overturned a policy from the Biden administration. This policy had prohibited the sale of AI-capable chips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, due to fears that these valuable U.S. technologies might end up in the hands of Chinese companies, and by extension, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during a welcoming ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. 

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during a welcoming ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025.  (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS )

By the end of Trump’s trip, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party had introduced new legislation “to stop advanced U.S. AI chips from falling into the hands of adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”

“The ambition is understandable – drawing the Gulf states deeper into the U.S. tech ecosystem is a logical way to counterbalance China’s growing influence,” Craig Singleton, China Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital. “But the devil is in the details. 

“Without rigorous safeguards and clear conditions on technology transfer, there’s a real risk of leakage — whether it’s advanced chips, know-how, or access to AI platforms,” he warned. “If these deals lack meaningful restrictions, they could end up strengthening the very actors they’re meant to contain.”

The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on AI security.

While questions remain about the future of AI security, some reports suggested that the expanded U.S. agreements could help cement the U.S. as the global leader in the emerging technology and help shape its landscape.

But China has interests outside of AI in the region that pertain to security, economic and energy sectors – all of which the U.S. has a vested interest in deterring. 

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan greets President Donald Trump at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. 

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan greets President Donald Trump at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Thursday, May 15, 2025.  (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Trump was the first president in nearly 20 years to visit the UAE, which security experts have told Fox News Digital will go a long way to further not only geopolitical goodwill amid major unrest stemming from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, but it could even further bolster economic and security opportunities between Washington and Abu Dahbi.

“Trump showing up and re-committing American military and economic power to support the UAE’s stability, security, and success in a dangerous neighborhood can pay real dividends going forward,” John Hannah, former national security advisor to Dick Cheney and current Randi & Charles Wax senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), told Fox News Digital. 

 “Since at least the time of President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, there’s been a slow, but noticeable drift in UAE strategy away from its deep reliance on the United States toward more of a hedging policy of playing all sides of the global great game, including an increasingly close relationship with China,” he added.

IN FLIGHT - MAY 14:  U.S. President Donald J. Trump speaks to travelling media aboard Air Force One on a range of issues, including Syria, as he flies to Doha, Qatar on May 14, 2025. Trump is on the second day of a multi-nation tour of the Gulf region focused on expanding economic ties and reinforcing security cooperation with key U.S. allies. 

IN FLIGHT – MAY 14:  U.S. President Donald J. Trump speaks to travelling media aboard Air Force One on a range of issues, including Syria, as he flies to Doha, Qatar on May 14, 2025. Trump is on the second day of a multi-nation tour of the Gulf region focused on expanding economic ties and reinforcing security cooperation with key U.S. allies.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Hannah explained that a period of American weariness of the Middle East enabled China to effectively expand its geopolitical interests in the vital region.

The expert pointed out that not only does the UAE host U.S. troops on its soil, but its trade value with the U.S. – even prior to the $1.4 trillion deal it reached earlier this year – was worth some $35 billion annually.

“With a country as influential and resource-rich as the UAE, correcting that unhelpful perception and putting the strategic relationship back on a much more positive dynamic is an important goal,” Hannah said. 

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the UAE foreign ministry for comment. 

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Slain prep school lacrosse player's father 'astonished' after murder suspect acquitted in stabbing case

Father of Slain Prep School Lacrosse Player ‘Shocked’ by Acquittal of Suspect in Stabbing Case

The father of a murdered Fairfield, Connecticut, prep school lacrosse player expressed…
Secret Service acquires iconic presidential Marine One helicopter for advanced agent training program

Secret Service Enhances Agent Training with Iconic Marine One Presidential Helicopter

The newly decommissioned Marine One helicopter found a new home with the…
Jeffrey Epstein's brother laughs at 'stupid' FBI memo defending controversial suicide ruling: report

Jeffrey Epstein’s Brother Mocks ‘Ridiculous’ FBI Memo Justifying Suicide Ruling: Report

Jeffrey Epstein’s brother has criticized federal investigators for their recent statement indicating…

Taliban’s Controversial Afghan Tourism Campaign Features Disturbing Video Resembling ISIS Execution

AFGHANISTAN has launched a bizarre video campaign to attract tourists – including…
Windy City Smokeout 2025: Start time, outside the United Center for things to do in Chicago

Your Guide to the Windy City Smokeout 2025: Events and Activities Near the United Center in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — If you’re a fan of delicious mouth watering barbecue,…
Pennsylvania man who showed father's severed head on YouTube said he wanted to block him from being next Trump

Pennsylvania Man Displayed Father’s Severed Head on YouTube to Prevent His Political Rise

The Pennsylvania man accused of murdering his father and then uploading a…
Aerial view of a fenced-in facility in a desert landscape.

Israel Reveals Some Iranian Underground Uranium Reserves Withstood Trump’s Assault, Warns of Potential New Strikes

ISRAEL says some of Iran’s highly-enriched near weapons-grade uranium stockpile survived US…

Ashley Biden Defends Former President Soon After Doctor Declines Testifying on Cognitive Concerns

ASHLEY Biden has spoken out online for the first time, making a…
New Mexico village rebuilds all over again after record-breaking flash flood kills 3

New Mexico Village Begins Rebuilding After Devastating Flash Flood

RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — The mountain village of Ruidoso faced the familiar…
Angela Paxton at her husband's impeachment trial.

Senator Angela Paxton Announces Divorce from Texas Attorney General Ken on Biblical Grounds After Nearly 40 Years of Marriage

TEXAS Senator Angela Paxton has filed for divorce from her attorney general…
Iranian flag held aloft by a statue in Tehran, with an anti-Israel billboard in the background.

The UK warns that Iran now presents a serious physical threat to residents, similar to the risk from Russia.

IRAN poses a significant threat to Britain with Tehran’s spies targeting the…
NWS faces vacancies in Florida offices as 2025 hurricane season ramps up

NWS Struggles with Florida Office Vacancies as 2025 Hurricane Season Intensifies

Tom Fahy, the Legislative Director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization,…