Cato Podcast Aimless Rivalry: U.S. and China in the Middle East
7 snips
Jul 17, 2025 Jon Hoffman, a Research Fellow at the Cato Institute, joins Justin Logan to tackle the complexities of U.S.-China competition in the Middle East. They debate the outdated justifications for U.S. policies tied to oil and terrorism, highlighting the futility of viewing this rivalry through a zero-sum lens. Hoffman critiques the military presence and examines China's distinct approach to the region. There's a keen focus on the diplomatic shifts, especially the thaw between Saudi Arabia and Iran led by China, challenging conventional threat perceptions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Myth of China Threat in Middle East
- U.S. justification of Middle East policy on China competition is mainly about zero-sum thinking and influence fears.
- Actual Chinese interests focus on economic ties like free oil flow, not strategic dominance threatening the U.S.
Middle East's Reverse Leverage Tactic
- Middle Eastern countries use U.S. fears of China to extract concessions like arms sales.
- This "reverse leverage" manipulates American policy and weakens true U.S. strategic control.
China Avoids U.S. Middle East Mistakes
- China studies American failures in the Middle East and avoids similar costly commitments.
- Their focus remains on domestic priorities and nearby regions, seeing little value in deep Middle East involvement.