China in West Asia is minefield for Washington

WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) The United States, long accustomed to predominance as a world superpower, is bumping up against rising China in nearly every corner of the globe these days, but no region is more sensitive than the West Asia.

For Washington, West Asia has long been a vital sphere of influence based on a unique commitment to Israel, ties to Gulf States that have involved American troops in two recent wars, and a dependence on oil resources.

Now China is muscling into energy markets; investing in Iran as Washington seeks to sanction the Islamic republic for its nuclear programme; and it has held discussions on purchasing sensitive arms technology from Israel that Washington has sought to restrict.

Some experts even suggest China could supplant American democracy as a regional touchstone, with authoritarian regimes being more attracted by the Chinese model of high economic growth with little political reform.

To John McLaughlin, former CIA acting director, the ''weakened'' position of the United States -- bogged down in Iraq with its reputation in the Muslim world battered -- presents China with both opportunity and temptation.

The temptation is for China to capitalise on this weakness and position itself as a counterweight to America, he told recent conference organised by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank that examined the ''vital triangle'' of China, the United States and West Asia.

The opportunity is for Beijing to recognise its interests largely coincide with Washington's and to work to coordinate agendas, said McLaughlin, now senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

MIXED VIEWS As China extends its reach, some Americans see nefarious designs as Beijing challenges Washington for influence. Other views are more benign.

''I don't think the Chinese are setting out to compete per se with the US internationally, including in West Asia,'' said Arnold Kanter, a former senior State Department official who does business in China.

Rather, ''it's more a case of China -- as an emerging global power -- quite naturally developing interests that lead it to show up in places where it hasn't been before and where it has little experience,'' he said.

Kanter, who travels regularly to China, believes ''any self-respecting world power'' would act similarly. China and the United States must learn to cooperate, he advised.

Although US political debates over China policy have been relatively calm during President George W. Bush's term, many Americans harbour strong suspicions about Beijing's intentions.

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a group set up by the US Congress, recently promoted the view that ''the proliferation of missiles and missile-related technology -- mainly to Iran -- remains the most persistent and arguably the most dangerous aspect of Sino-West Asian relations.'' In a report, it faulted Beijing's reluctance to support US-led efforts to impose UN sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt sensitive nuclear activities the West says is for weapons development and Tehran insists is for energy production.

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