Staff Reports
China just rolled out the red carpet for King Abdullah II of Jordan in Beijing and watched leaders from both sides stamp a stack of memoranda of understanding. The headlines call it friendship and investment. The blunt truth is simpler: Beijing is hustling to buy influence in the Middle East after its earlier big bet on Iran ran into trouble. This is an economic push dressed up as diplomacy — and America should not pretend it’s not happening.
What happened in Beijing
King Abdullah II met President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in a visit that produced several MoUs and cooperation agreements. Jordan’s Royal Court and Chinese officials both announced signings witnessed by the leaders. China says these pacts cover trade, investment, and technical cooperation. That sounds important. But remember: MoUs are often promises on paper, not funded projects on the ground. Still, the optics matter. China is using headline visits and glossy agreements to lock in relationships across the Gulf and the Levant.
Why Beijing is making the move
Analysts say this push comes as a practical pivot. Beijing once treated Tehran as a regional keystone. After recent military and political blows to Iran, that “bet” looks shaky — a truth a widely‑cited analysis bluntly summed up as, “That bet has failed.” China still buys a lot of Iranian oil, but it’s not rushing in with weapons or public political cover. Instead, Beijing is courting the Gulf states, signing currency swaps and preliminary investment pacts with the UAE, Saudi partners, and now Jordan. The message is clear: keep business flowing, avoid messy military entanglements, and try to be the region’s top contractor for reconstruction and development when the smoke clears.
Why Americans should care
This is not some distant trade fair. When China deepens economic ties across the Middle East, it gains leverage over markets, ports, and political decisions. That leverage can translate into strategic influence — access to critical infrastructure, preferential contracts for Chinese firms, and a louder diplomatic voice at the expense of U.S. interests. Add the complication of sanctions: American pressure on third parties dealing with Iran makes Beijing’s balancing act risky, but it doesn’t stop China from playing both sides where it can. The proper American response shouldn’t be moralizing from a distance. It should be clearer economic engagement with friends like Jordan and real deterrence to prevent Beijing from buying strategic footholds with glossy MoUs and state visits.
Bottom line — act like it matters
China’s campaign in the Middle East is a clear, pragmatic pivot: hold on to energy ties with Iran where possible, but diversify influence through deals with Gulf states and key partners like Jordan. The U.S. can complain, but complaints won’t win infrastructure contracts or sway regional leaders. If conservatives want to protect American interests, they should push for stronger American trade and investment tools, better diplomacy in the region, and tougher enforcement of rules that make predatory deals harder for Beijing to close. Otherwise, expect more handshakes in Beijing and more Chinese influence in capitals Washington still thinks of as friends. Call that realpolitik or call it what it is: competition. Either way, wake up and compete.
