The Middle East is often seen as a primary theater of competition between the U.S. and China, given the region’s geostrategic importance for both superpowers. While the United States has grown weary of its entanglement in Mideast wars and undemocratic governments, that doesn’t mean it is well-positioned to fill the void, according to a leading Chinese scholar.
Niu Xinchun, director of the Middle East Institute of Contemporary International Relations, a think tank affiliated with China’s Ministry of State Security (China’s international spy agency comparable to the CIA), published a refreshingly candid assessment last week that details the limitations of China’s ability to challenge U.S. military supremacy in the Middle East.
