China and the US have been locked in a global struggle ever since Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2017. This has culminated in a trade war between the two nations as both rack up extensive tariffs on one another. It also means China has shifted closer to Russia and is beginning to explicitly define an anti-Washington position in the Middle East, according to a global affairs expert.
Russia and Iran have a long history of partnering up against the US in that region in a relationship that spans back to the days of the Soviet Union – and grew even stronger when the Union collapsed in the Nineties.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, expert Kyle Orton said that China, while initially lending its tacit support to allies Russia and Iran – and, in turn, the Syrian government – has now been compelled into operating in the public light.
He added: “The China element in this alliance is new age – in the sense that China is only now beginning to more openly stake out a position in the Middle East.
President Xi and Trump have been locked in diplomatic warfare – culminating in a trade war (Image: GETTY)
Xi has warmed to President Putin in recent times (Image: GETTY)
“It’s been operating in Syria since the start of the Civil War – it’s had investments in regime areas
