GREAT POWER RIVALRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF U.S.–CHINA STRATEGIES IN YEMEN AND SYRIA (2000–PRESENT)

Abstract

This article explores the ongoing evolution of the rivalry between the United States and China in the Middle East by examining their respective roles in the Yemen conflict (2000 - present) and the Syria conflict (2014 - 2023). It points out that while both powers desire regional stability and influence, their approaches could not be more different, given the wider trends in their national foreign policy. Unlike the United States, which has more often based its strategy on military intervention, security alliances and coercive diplomacy, China has focused on economic engagement, non-intervention and multilateral diplomacy rooted in respect for state sovereignty. In terms of methodology, it is a qualitative comparative case study that investigates Yemen and Syria across five dimensions, also referred to as variables: the role of regional actors; global competition and normative conflict; economic imperatives and aid strategies; diplomatic engagement and United Nations involvement; and military-security approaches. It relies on both primary (e.g., UN debates, reports and resolutions) and secondary (e.g., academic articles, policy documents and official statements) sources. In Syria against regime shift and opposition groups, U.S. policy shifted towards counterterrorism missions to defeat extremists; likewise, state sovereignty was at the forefront of China's position on the issue, while generally voting with Russia in UN Security Council votes over Libya. In Yemen, the US is supporting the Saudi-led coalition with logistical and intelligence support, instead of pursuing an active military confrontation like China. This observation leads to a broader argument about U.S.–China rivalry as a politics of grand strategy rooted in global power and influence that reflects but should not be solved through "cooperation" in international dispute resolution.