Strengthened by its growing clout in the global economy, China is flexing its muscles in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and elsewhere, posing a new challenge for the traditional dominance of the United States in regions of key strategic importance.
One day after it boycotted together with Russia the U.N. Security Council talks on a Western proposal to impose sanctions on the Syrian government, China took new aim at U.S. policies in the Middle East, reportedly announcing that it will vote in favor of Palestinian statehood when the matter is presented to the Security Council next month.
According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, a message to that effect from Chinese President Hu Jintao was delivered to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday.
China has always supported the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state on all of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, WAFA quoted Hu as saying.
This statement surely will increase pressure on U.S. President Barack Obama, who previously spurred high hopes that he may solve the Mideast problem during his presidency. More than 30 months after Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, Israel and the Palestinians are as far from a solution as ever. Naturally, hopes that Obama could make a difference in the region have been evaporating rapidly.
Chinas rising confidence in the face of voids of influence left by the retreat of U.S. foreign policy owes much to Beijings global position of lender of last resort it has more than $3 trillion of foreign reserves, mostly invested in U.S.
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The nations outward foreign direct investment stock reached $246 billion in 2009 up from $28 billion in 2000 and just $4 billion in 1990.
US watches as China raises Mideast clout - Hurriyet Daily News
Welcome Mr. China.