China exploiting Middle East security vacuum to counter US: Report

Sofia, April 4 (IANS) China is exploiting the security vacuum in the Middle East to position itself as a "strategic alternative", amid growing doubts in Beijing over the viability of US bases in the region following repeated attacks on American and Israeli interests, a recent report has highlighted.

According to a report in Bulgaria-based 'Modern Diplomacy', Beijing has adopted an "encirclement of the encirclement" strategy, expanding its military bases and strengthening regional alliances to counter the US efforts to contain China.

"China views US military bases in the Gulf and the Middle East as instruments of hegemony and monitors their impact on energy security. It adopts a civil-military integration strategy to quietly increase its influence, leveraging infrastructure and ports while avoiding direct confrontation. This strategy focuses on economic and technological cooperation to advance its interests in the region," the report detailed.

"Consequently, China seeks to expand its military influence by establishing bases, such as those in Djibouti and Cambodia, to counter the US presence in the Indo-Pacific.

Despite the US having 800 bases compared to China's limited expansion, Beijing employs a blockade-building strategy to secure its trade routes and build a global military capability. The most prominent features of the military transformation (Chinese versus American) lie in China's expansion strategy," it added.

The report stressed that China is leveraging the Iran-US conflict to advance a “siege-siege strategy", extending economic and military support to Tehran under their 25-year strategic partnership agreement.

This undermines US isolation efforts and draws Washington into a prolonged regional conflict.

“Beijing aims to transform the Middle East into a war of attrition that weakens US influence, capitalising on its need for the region’s energy resources and Iran’s geostrategic location. The Chinese siege-siege strategy relies on indirect tactics, including supporting Iran (which supplies 20 per cent of China’s oil) to challenge Washington, avoiding direct military intervention, and investing in infrastructure.

This circumvents US sanctions, effectively encircling Washington,” it mentioned.

By seeking to keep the US engaged in the conflict with the Middle East, the report said, Beijing seeks to shift Washington’s focus away from the Asia-Pacific region and enable China to expand its global influence.

"This also helps expand Chinese influence, as China adopts the Belt and Road Initiative to connect countries within its economic sphere of influence, using the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the BRICS group as tools to support Iran politically.

China aims to achieve several strategic objectives in its confrontation with Washington, including exhausting Washington by embroiling the US in Middle Eastern conflicts while simultaneously safeguarding its energy interests by securing oil flows through long-term partnerships with Iran," it emphasised.

--IANS

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