It was only a few classes ago that we discussed the Chinese Navy and how they are so far behind the United States that they are unable to just go to another country and exert their power. When looking for a topic I came across this article which looks at the Chinese navy doing military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. In the introductory paragraph the author of the article I’m referencing touches the subject of the US push to the Pacific initiative and the growing involvement in Africa and the Middle East by China.
In recent events China announced that it will look to try Naval exercises with Russia in the Mediterranean. Experts believe this has a large part to start to branch out and train with Russia, especially with the US becoming increasingly involved in China’s neighbors such as Japan. Additionally, this is viewed as a simple saber-rattling experience which will not effect any economic partners in the region or cause any fallout with other nations. The author dubs this test as the cool war, named after the US-USSR period of cooled force projection around the world.
Another factor is China’s increasing role in north Africa and the Middle-East. This is because of China’s dependence of oil from these states and the increasing number of settlements for Chinese workers abroad. The final consideration is that China may want its presence for these citizens if instability arises and they need to intervene to assist their workers.
In the end it is obvious that China is trying to expand its power and military presence. They are obviously many years from the United States but it is possible that if Iran expands greatly in regional power, then as a strong ally China could benefit from these advancements. In conclusion, it is obvious that China is in fact concerned with American presence in the Pacific and also trying to bulk up its military, and by visiting the seas close to the Middle East will be able to make small steps in this direction.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-05-01/what-is-china-s-navy-doing-in-mediterranean-