China is capitalizing on the security vacuum in the Middle East to establish itself as a strategic alternative, as per a recent report. The report highlights China’s strategy of encircling the encirclement by expanding military bases and bolstering alliances in the region to counter US containment efforts.
The report notes that China perceives US bases in the Gulf and the Middle East as tools of hegemony and closely monitors their impact on energy security. China adopts a civil-military integration approach to enhance its influence quietly, focusing on economic and technological cooperation to advance its interests in the region.
China aims to expand its military influence by setting up bases in Djibouti and Cambodia to counter the US presence in the Indo-Pacific. Despite having fewer bases compared to the US, China employs a blockade-building strategy to secure trade routes and enhance its global military capability.
China is leveraging the Iran-US conflict to implement a siege-siege strategy, providing economic and military support to Tehran under a 25-year strategic partnership agreement. This strategy aims to weaken US influence in the Middle East and draw Washington into a prolonged regional conflict.
By keeping the US entangled in Middle Eastern conflicts, China seeks to divert Washington’s attention from the Asia-Pacific region and enhance its global influence. China utilizes initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, along with organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS group, to support Iran politically and achieve strategic objectives in its rivalry with the US.
