BEIJING -- In addition to now
holding three of Iraq's 11 major oil concessions, China has also been
investing heavily in Afghanistan, and recently signed
a high-profile nuclear deal with Pakistan. These significant strategic developments in all the major geographic theaters of the U.S. War on Terror further demonstrate the efficacy of Beijing's economy-first diplomacy and reflect China's growing influence in Central Asia as a whole.
These gains have been facilitated by more than a decade of aggressive diplomacy throughout Central Asia, both through multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as well as through strengthening bilateral ties with nearly all nations in the region. Chinese investors have become trusted partners, not compromised by association with the War on Terror, and as a result are better able to mitigate the risks and insecurities faced by foreign entities in the region. ...