Kazakhstan joins the Abraham Accords to build new critical mineral supply chains with US partners, reducing reliance on China.
Browsing: China
China used economic ties and support for Iran to exploit post-Arab Spring instability, turning the region into a key front in US‑China competition.
A competitor seeks to outperform you; an adversary seeks to destroy you. This is a contest over whether free societies remain free.
China values Iran for oil and anti‑U.S. alignment but offers no security guarantees, prioritizing its own stability above Tehran’s regime.
Chinese firms dominate Iraq’s upstream sector by accepting low-profit terms, while state-backed financing secures critical infrastructure deals. Baghdad also seeks Western investment for technical expertise and to mitigate U.S. sanctions risk, maintaining a dual-track strategy to balance energy partners.
Iran relies on oil sales to China for nearly 90% of its export revenue, funding its nuclear and missile programs. The U.S. must crack down on the “Axis of Evasion,” using secondary sanctions and diplomatic pressure to cut off this financial lifeline.
Adversaries have learned they can fracture Western alliances and control strategic chokepoints by staying below retaliation thresholds. This convergence allows China to secure shipping lanes, Russia to gain naval bases, and Iran to project power through proxies like the Houthis.
Beijing’s influence grows when regional dynamics offer easy wins but reverses quickly during instability. With no core interests at stake and foreign policy a lower priority, China adopts a passive approach, unable to shape events when diplomatic statements prove insufficient.
The strategy calls for a “decent peace” with China via military balance, not domination. It states allies like Japan and South Korea must assume primary defense responsibility, as direct U.S. security guarantees become more limited.
Iraq’s reliance on affordable Chinese goods and investment, paired with political alignment among Shia elites, embeds Beijing’s long-term influence. However, Baghdad maintains critical security and financial ties to the U.S., reflecting a constrained hedging strategy.