Relationship dossier
Bahrain
People's Republic of China
Relationship assessment
Bahrain and China maintain a comprehensive strategic partnership with political and economic cooperation.
Bahrain toward People's Republic of China
+55Bahrain has supported the One China policy and participated in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The two governments have pursued economic and political cooperation, including vaccine-related cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
People's Republic of China toward Bahrain
+55China has pursued political and economic cooperation with Bahrain through bilateral engagement and Belt and Road-related cooperation. In 2024, the two governments elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Overall relationship
+55The bilateral relationship has developed from political engagement into a formal strategic partnership, with economic cooperation and shared commitments supporting continued engagement. The 2024 upgrade and earlier cooperation indicate a durable, substantive relationship, while the scale and implementation of specific initiatives remain uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bahrain and China have developed a substantive partnership involving political dialogue, economic cooperation and participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Their relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024. Bahrain’s support for the One China policy and bilateral cooperation on issues including COVID-19 vaccines complement China’s engagement with Bahrain. The relationship is cooperative, though the scope and implementation of its initiatives are not fully clear.
Key developments
Bahrain and China elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during King Hamad’s visit to China.
Bahrain and China established a strategic partnership, expanding political and economic cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and implementation of economic projects under the bilateral partnership are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing cooperation beyond high-level political and economic engagement is uncertain.