WASHINGTON, DC — China is seeking to enhance its military posture in the Middle East, where Beijing is pursuing deeper cooperation with state sponsor of terror Iran, the chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) cautioned lawmakers Tuesday.
During a House Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday, Gen. Joseph Votel unveiled CENTCOM’s 2018 posture statement, a summary of the combatant command’s role, mission, operations, and budget presented to Congress each year.
He noted that the lifting of sanctions under former President Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, has allowed China to enhance its relationship with Iran, which the general identified as the top long-term threat in the Middle East.
Nevertheless, Votel acknowledged, “While China will continue to develop its relationships with nations in the Middle East, Beijing will likely maintain its stance of avoiding a major role in ongoing conflicts.”
Gen. Votel explained:
Both China and Russia seek to fill in perceived gaps in U.S. interest by increasing defense cooperation and sales of their equipment to our regional partners. They both are also cultivating multidimensional ties to Iran. The lifting of U.N. sanctions under the joint comprehensive plan of action opened the path for Iran to resume membership application to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The SCO organization refers to a Eurasian political, economic, and military coalition founded in Shanghai back in 2001 by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Iran, designated by the United States as the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism, is listed by the organization as “observer state.” READ MORE
