Trump’s Restoration Diplomacy

Trump’s visit to the Middle East signals not a new NATO-like alliance, but rather a loose, interest-driven system of cooperation. This structure is based not on democratic discourse but on mutual gain. This “pragmatic bloc formation” to counter China’s influence marks a revival of classic American foreign policy.

Donald Trump’s statements in Saudi Arabia not only created a stir, but also heralded a significant shift in the global order. Trump announced the lifting of longstanding U.S. sanctions on Syria. But that wasn’t all — he signed multibillion-dollar arms and investment deals with Saudi Arabia, met with Ahmed al-Shara, and made an open call for negotiations with Iran. These moves are no coincidence; on the contrary, they are part of a broader U.S. strategy to restore frayed relations in the region and counter China’s growing influence by forming a new network of alliances.

The sanctions imposed on Syria for years not only responded to the regime’s massacres but also economically strangled the country. While Trump’s decision to lift them may appear humanitarian at first glance, it conceals a far more complex geopolitical calculation. The U.S. wants to bring regional countries — including Damascus — back “into the system” to reduce China’s growing leverage in the Middle East. China, particularly through its Belt and Road Initiative, has been establishing new connections across the Iran-Syria corridor. Trump’s move, therefore, aims to build an “American corridor” to counter China’s reach.

Ahmed al-Shara, Syria’s new leader, might be a controversial figure for the West, but his openness to negotiations works in America’s favor. The potential involvement of U.S. companies in the reconstruction of post-Assad Syria is both an economic move and a bid for ideological influence. This can be seen as a form of “restoration diplomacy” — America’s answer to China’s “infrastructure diplomacy.”

Trump’s summit in Riyadh seems like a continuation of the major foreign policy initiative he launched in 2017. But this time, the main rival is not Iran — it’s China. The $142 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia further binds the kingdom to the U.S. and aims to curtail Chinese influence in regional security matters. Diplomatic activity with Turkey has also increased. As a NATO member with economic ties to China, Turkey has become a critical “balancing actor” for Washington. Trump is maneuvering to pull such actors back into the American sphere of influence.

In recent years, China has pursued a “gap-filling” strategy in the Middle East. Through infrastructure investments, energy deals, port projects, and 5G technology, it has offered countries an alternative path of development. However, this economic appeal has also brought political dependencies. Now, the U.S. seeks to disrupt the “soft circle” China has built, by reaching out to its old allies. Trump’s Syria pivot and his efforts to renew regional partnerships constitute a “counter-Belt strategy.”

Trump’s Middle East tour points not to a NATO-style bloc, but to a loose, interest-centered alliance. It prioritizes mutual benefits over democratic ideals. This pragmatic bloc is a sign of America’s traditional foreign policy making a comeback.

Trump’s lifting of the Syria sanctions is not merely a diplomatic correction; it is the opening move in a new front in the global race for hegemony against China. The Middle East is being reshaped once again — but this time, it’s not a war to bring democracy, but a struggle to gather allies. The key question in this new era is: In a region squeezed between China and the U.S., who will stand where?