| This paper takes the relations between China and the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as its research object. It will give a systemic analysis on the bialateral relations economically, politically and culturally in different decades. China–GCC FTA talks and construction are used as the paper's case study, for it will be China's second largest FTA to be set up, to which the leaders from both sides attach great importance. It is significant to study China–GCC cooperations, not only because both sides separately stand for the world's largest developing country and a regional organization consisting of 6 developing nations, but because the cooperations are so important to some China's strategies including"Going Out","Western Development","Extended Neighbors"and so on.This paper argues that China–GCC relations have gone through three stages. In 1981–1990, China and the GCC supported each other politically and morally. China established diplomatic relations with all the GCC member states as well. In1990–2004, as the Saudi Arabia and China established full diplomatic relations, China–GCC developed their relations quickly in many areas, such as foreign trade, politics, culture and personnel. In 2004–2010, two landmark cases took place between China and GCC. In July 2004, both sides announced the launch of China–GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations. The negotiations have experienced four rounds. In June 2010, China–GCC held their first round of strategic dialogue in Beijing. The study of the paper will be illustrated as the following four aspects.First, a friednly history of more than 2000 years between China and the Arab world has laid a solid foundation for the contemporary relations between China and the GCC. What's more, both sides have confronted the similar history and mission. Naturally, a realistic platform for the further cooperation came into being when they were pursueing the same benefits and targets. The relevant cognitive basis makes each other the strategic partner. They may severely hegemonism and other threats in the international politics.Second, China and the GCC as well as its member states are trying to respond to the impact of globalization. They are adjusting their development strategies in full. At the same time, they have chosen the other side as the collaborator. But mechanisms and systems are being requested to establish to safeguard normal and continuous cooperations. Actually, such manifestations include the economic, political, cultural exchanges, and many other aspects. China–GCC FTA negotiations embody this vivid interaction.Third, the strategic cooperations between China and the GCC lie in the complementary demands of their developments. This phenomenon has given a reasonable explanation for their behaviors since the 1990s. China has shown its increasing influence in the world. Meanwhile, the GCC and its member countries are bringing forth their unique importance becauce of the geopolitics and energy position. The obvious results find the two powers cooperating with eath other more and more closely. People believe they will contribute more to the new international political and economic orders in the futureFinally, China adheres to co-ordinate domestic and international situations, domestic and international markets and resources in recent years. At the same time, the GCC is constucting its mechanism during its integration process, which calls for more efforts to improve its coordination with the major powers in the world. China's opening policy is focusing on"Opening Westward", while the Arab world is practising"Eastern Outlook". China and the GCC are bound to pursue further cooperations in this era and last long. More advantages and opportunities are expected to emerge to encourage both sides and their people.Based on the above assumptions, the paper will focus on a main clue from the evolvement since the establishment of China–GCC's bilateral relations. An introduction and five chapters as the body are included in the paper. The first chapter deals with China–GCC relations by rearranging the materials of the Sino-Arab relations and integrating process of GCC. Chapters Two to Four successively analyze economic, political and cultural relations between the two sides. The author thinks there is some logical reason when the three areas are arranged in such an order. The last chapter directly explains both sides'demands under the context of"Post Financial Crisis Decade". Their domestic and outside enviroments force them to cooperate with each other futher and wider. The forseeable subsequence may lead to an active and effective influence of both sides'development and prosperity as well as the peaceful anticipation in the Middle East and the world.
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