ASSESSMENTS

China May Set Its Navy on Course for the Persian Gulf

Aug 9, 2019 | 09:00 GMT

Ships carrying Chinese military personnel depart Zhanjiang, in south China's Guangdong province, on July 11, 2017, bound for a support base in Djibouti.

(Xinhua/Wu Dengfeng via Getty Images)

Highlights

China has long wanted to extend its maritime reach and has major strategic interests in energy supplies that transit the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. call for nations to join Operation Sentinel, which would see naval escorts for commercial shipping, gives China an opportunity to do both — but Washington might not welcome Chinese participation, and China itself has reservations.
If tensions continue to escalate in the Persian Gulf, however, Beijing may find it has no choice but to have a security presence in the Middle East.

China has become the latest country to voice interest in becoming involved in the proposed U.S. naval security plan for the Persian Gulf. On Aug. 6, Chinese Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Ni Jian said China is considering having its navy escort its commercial ships in the region, and that Beijing is also looking at the U.S. proposal for Gulf escorts. Ni hedged that China would only move in this direction in the event of a "very unsafe situation" in the Persian Gulf. If the Chinese decide to proceed, this would mark a significant step forward in China's military and naval presence in the region....

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