Political Analyst: US Approach towards Syria Has Dire Repercussions for China

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a political analyst and an academic at Tehran University, believes that China’s rather cool approach towards the Syrian crisis and the US war rhetoric against Syria will soon become a source of worry for Beijing.
“It is surprising that China is somewhat quiet because at the end of the day the United States’ objective is to drive China out of West Asia and North Africa along with Russia and Iran. The US has already succeeded in expelling China from two oil rich countries, meaning Libya and South Sudan,” Marandi said in an exclusive interview with FNA on Wednesday.

Asked if Beijing has underestimated the repercussions of the Syrian crisis, he said, “I think maybe the Chinese do not fully recognize the implications of the US gaining full control of West Asia and North Africa. If the US succeeds in controlling Syria, then Iraq becomes more unstable and that is a further threat to China because the US after its successes in Libya and South Sudan by destabilizing Iraq and potentially weakening Iran will be able to be in control of almost all the world’s oil and gas supplies. This is specially significant now that Hugo Chavez in Venezuela is gone, thus strengthening the US-backed opposition in the country. China because of its increasing reliance on imported oil and gas will be very vulnerable to pressures exerted by the United States.”

Marandi also cautioned that the economic implications of a US war on Syria will be gravely dangerous for china “because the US could threaten the Chinese economy wherever China and American interests diverge; not only will the US be able to weaken the Chinese economy but western oil and gas companies will benefit from Chinese energy consumption”.

“So we see that America supposed pivot to Asia actually begins in the oil and gas rich Middle-East.”

Asked if he thinks Beijing should adopt a stronger stance against the US interventions in Syria similar to Moscow’s position, Marandi said, “For China standing against the US aggression in Syria is of utmost importance. If the United States wins, it will be a major blow to China, specially since the United States in its war against Syria is supporting extremist groups with the help of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other oil-rich Arab countries, and the threat of extremism will not be limited to Syria and it constitutes a threat to China itself.”

“In addition, by ignoring the UN Security Council the US is attempting to diminish China’s role as a global power. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the US would like to humiliate China along with Russia by presenting them as impotent in the face of American power,” he concluded.