Posted: January 12, 2010
News Wires

China is considering setting up military bases and possibly deploying
forces in the Middle East over the next decade as a means of protecting
its access to strategic materials, especially oil, and sizeable
investments in various Arab countries..

Middle East expert Patrick Seale said the Chinese influence in the
Middle East is rising and its trade with Arab countries, which totaled
$132 billion in 2008, will increase.

The growing cooperation between China and Iran in energy and trade is
seen as leading to the prospect of increased military cooperation. That
would come at a time when the West is considering increased sanctions
against Iran, and Israel is threatening open military attack on Iran's
nuclear enrichment facilities.

"For sure, Iran's willingness to show a greater willingness than
hitherto to embrace China's naval vessels making port calls to Iran is
now in the cards, this as a prelude to more extensive agreements up to
and including provisions for a small Chinese naval outpost on one of
Iran's Persian Gulf islands," according to Iranian expert Kaveh L.
Afrasiabi.

"Again, such a scenario, sure to raise the serious ire of Washington,
depends on a number of intervening variables," Afrasiabi said. "These
include future U.S. moves in the Persian Gulf, for example, whether or
not the U.S. military will end up utilizing some of the man-made
artificial islands set up by the (United Arab Emirates). If so, thus
enhancing the U.S.'s power projection capability with regard to Iran,
Tehran may be more inclined to try to offset the U.S.'s leaning so heavy
on it by playing the 'China card.'"

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Until now, the role of China and its influence in the region has
received little public attention, even though Beijing's influence is
growing, especially toward Iran.

China, for example, is Iran's main customer for oil. It plans to invest
some $43 billion in Iran's oil industry, despite the fact that U.S.
policymakers are adamantly opposed to this development. In the case of
China, however, unilateral U.S. sanctions would be fruitless and would
create further tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Policymakers view Tehran's offer to give China access to its massive oil
and natural gas reserves as a way of deflecting the possibility of
increased sanctions for its uranium enrichment program. As the U.N.
Security Council shortly will consider such sanctions, there are growing
indications that neither China nor Russia will support the move.

A good reason for that is China's heavy reliance on oil shipments from
the Middle East, particularly from Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Security experts say the strategy that China is developing for the
Middle East is referred to as the "string of pearls." The strategy is
designed to protect sea lanes from the oil-rich area of the Middle East
to China. In addition to military, the strategy includes diplomatic and
economic activities.

As part of the "string of pearls" strategy, China is to develop
commercial seaports that also can handle Chinese warships and provide
support for alliances from Gwadar in Pakistan through the Indian Ocean
and Southeast Asia.

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