China Is Making Middle East Moves - Yahoo News

Over the past decade, we’ve seen great power jockeying return to the Eastern Mediterranean with China using its deep pockets to secure influence with key U.S. allies as a means to further its global ambitions and adversely impact the United States’ national security interests.

Earlier last month, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry announced that Cairo would continue cooperating with Beijing on its Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting China’s economic grants as a key reason for Egypt’s interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Similarly, last June, the U.S. Senate cautioned Israel that it had “serious security concerns” about Jerusalem’s deal with Beijing that would see Chinese firms manage the day-to-day operations of Haifa port, which is where the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet often conduct port visits. That port deal reflects China’s growing prominent position among Israel’s trading partners, rising to third-largest by 2017, with only the European Union and the United States ahead.

That’s no accident. From 2012 to 2017, China invested $700 billion in the Middle East, representing a 1,700% increase. These funds were largely spent in energy, industry, transportation, and defense fields. Chinese energy investments in Egypt, Greece, and Jordan reached $19.87 billion (beginning in 2005) while its investments in ‘transport’ for Egypt, Greece, and Israel over the same period was $11.29 billion.

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https://news.yahoo.com/china-making-middle-east-moves-090000453.html

2020-02-10 09:00:00Z
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