Washington Post: U.S. Intel Claims Beijing Seizing Strategic Advantage from Iran War
A classified U.S. report indicates that China is leveraging the U.S.-Iran war to expand its advantages over the United States in military, economic, and diplomatic spheres. The report claims Beijing is selling weapons to U.S. allies, helping to manage the energy crisis, and depleting U.S. military readiness, shifting the international balance of power in its favor.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 13:54
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(Central News Agency, Washington, 13th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) As U.S. President Trump visits China, a classified assessment report indicates that China is using the Iran war to seize advantages in military, economic, diplomatic, and various other fields, thereby expanding its edge over the United States.
The Washington Post, citing two officials who have read the report but wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the assessment was produced this week for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine. The report has sparked concerns at the Pentagon about the geopolitical costs of the U.S.-Iran stalemate, especially as Trump is currently in Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The report, written by the intelligence directorate of the Joint Staff, employs the so-called DIME framework, assessing China's response to the Iran conflict through the four mechanisms of national power: Diplomatic, Informational, Military, and Economic.
The report states that since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, China has been selling weapons to U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf. At the time, these Gulf countries were struggling to defend against Iranian missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases and oil infrastructure within their borders.
Secondly, the report notes that Beijing has assisted various countries in addressing their energy needs after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the U.S.-Israeli offensive.
The report also points out that the war has significantly depleted U.S. ammunition stockpiles, which are crucial for a potential U.S.-China conflict. The Iran war has also led to the damage or destruction of U.S. military equipment and facilities in the Middle East, allowing Beijing to observe U.S. combat methods and learn how to plan its own future military operations.
Furthermore, the report mentions that Beijing has incorporated international criticism of the war into its external propaganda, labeling the war as 'illegal.' Beijing views the Iran conflict as a manifestation of Washington's reckless and aggressive attitude towards military conflict.
Experts say the report offers new insights into China's response to the Iran war, such as providing weapons to U.S. allies, while also reinforcing a growing impression that the war is tilting the international balance of power in Beijing's favor.
Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), said, 'Overall, the Iran war is significantly improving China's geopolitical position.'
Trump had previously claimed that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was a major problem for China due to its high dependence on oil from the Persian Gulf. However, the report indicates that China has weathered the energy shortage thanks to its development of renewable energy and its substantial strategic oil reserves.
'In this energy crisis, China is the second least affected country, just slightly behind the United States,' said Ryan Hass, a China expert at the Brookings Institution.
Hass stated that this has allowed Beijing to win more friends internationally. 'China is positioning itself as a problem-solver, providing short-term transition solutions by offering scarce aviation fuel and other products.'
Since the outbreak of the war, Beijing has approached countries like Thailand, Australia, and the Philippines to help them cope with energy demands and has offered Chinese-made green energy technology as a longer-term solution.
In past energy crises, Washington would dispatch officials worldwide and hold emergency meetings to address energy shortages, but the Trump administration has so far shown no interest in promoting similar actions.
'This has also created a vacuum, which Beijing is trying to fill,' Hass said.
The Iran war has also caused a shortage of U.S. military munitions. The U.S. has expended a large quantity of missiles, bombs, and interceptors for air defense systems to help Israel destroy Iranian weapon arsenals and to assist Gulf allies in defending against Iranian counter-attacks. Many of these weapons are expensive and have long production cycles.
'This raises questions about the capacity of the U.S. military-industrial base to quickly replenish consumed ammunition and deepens existing concerns about the slow delivery of U.S. weapons,' Stokes said.
The war also allows Beijing to criticize Washington from a moral high ground while diverting attention from some of its own oppressive actions. Stokes said, 'China has an opportunity to portray the United States as a declining, unilateralist hegemon, as Washington is unable to extricate itself from the costly quagmire of the Middle East war.' (Translation: Chen Yi-wei) 1150514
The Washington Post, citing two officials who have read the report but wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the assessment was produced this week for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine. The report has sparked concerns at the Pentagon about the geopolitical costs of the U.S.-Iran stalemate, especially as Trump is currently in Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The report, written by the intelligence directorate of the Joint Staff, employs the so-called DIME framework, assessing China's response to the Iran conflict through the four mechanisms of national power: Diplomatic, Informational, Military, and Economic.
The report states that since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, China has been selling weapons to U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf. At the time, these Gulf countries were struggling to defend against Iranian missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases and oil infrastructure within their borders.
Secondly, the report notes that Beijing has assisted various countries in addressing their energy needs after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the U.S.-Israeli offensive.
The report also points out that the war has significantly depleted U.S. ammunition stockpiles, which are crucial for a potential U.S.-China conflict. The Iran war has also led to the damage or destruction of U.S. military equipment and facilities in the Middle East, allowing Beijing to observe U.S. combat methods and learn how to plan its own future military operations.
Furthermore, the report mentions that Beijing has incorporated international criticism of the war into its external propaganda, labeling the war as 'illegal.' Beijing views the Iran conflict as a manifestation of Washington's reckless and aggressive attitude towards military conflict.
Experts say the report offers new insights into China's response to the Iran war, such as providing weapons to U.S. allies, while also reinforcing a growing impression that the war is tilting the international balance of power in Beijing's favor.
Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), said, 'Overall, the Iran war is significantly improving China's geopolitical position.'
Trump had previously claimed that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was a major problem for China due to its high dependence on oil from the Persian Gulf. However, the report indicates that China has weathered the energy shortage thanks to its development of renewable energy and its substantial strategic oil reserves.
'In this energy crisis, China is the second least affected country, just slightly behind the United States,' said Ryan Hass, a China expert at the Brookings Institution.
Hass stated that this has allowed Beijing to win more friends internationally. 'China is positioning itself as a problem-solver, providing short-term transition solutions by offering scarce aviation fuel and other products.'
Since the outbreak of the war, Beijing has approached countries like Thailand, Australia, and the Philippines to help them cope with energy demands and has offered Chinese-made green energy technology as a longer-term solution.
In past energy crises, Washington would dispatch officials worldwide and hold emergency meetings to address energy shortages, but the Trump administration has so far shown no interest in promoting similar actions.
'This has also created a vacuum, which Beijing is trying to fill,' Hass said.
The Iran war has also caused a shortage of U.S. military munitions. The U.S. has expended a large quantity of missiles, bombs, and interceptors for air defense systems to help Israel destroy Iranian weapon arsenals and to assist Gulf allies in defending against Iranian counter-attacks. Many of these weapons are expensive and have long production cycles.
'This raises questions about the capacity of the U.S. military-industrial base to quickly replenish consumed ammunition and deepens existing concerns about the slow delivery of U.S. weapons,' Stokes said.
The war also allows Beijing to criticize Washington from a moral high ground while diverting attention from some of its own oppressive actions. Stokes said, 'China has an opportunity to portray the United States as a declining, unilateralist hegemon, as Washington is unable to extricate itself from the costly quagmire of the Middle East war.' (Translation: Chen Yi-wei) 1150514