As the World’s Eyes Stay Locked on the Middle East, Beijing Makes Its Move

Beijing’s immediate objective appears to be to gain control over the South China Sea.

This photo taken on Sept. 22, 2023, shows a Chinese coast guard ship (R) blocking a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' (BFAR) ship (L) while its personnel aboard a rigid hull inflatable boat sailing past the Philippine ship as it neared the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

While the focus of world attention has shifted in the past few weeks from Ukraine to the Middle East, it would be a mistake to ignore events in the Indo-Pacific, especially the South China Sea.