Phar, Kim Beng and Hamzah, Luthfy (2026) When US meets China: conflict in West Asia cannot be avoided. Awani International, NA (NA). pp. 1-4.
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Abstract
This article examines the increasing globalisation of the conflict surrounding Iran and its intersection with the wider strategic rivalry between the United States and China. It argues that the expansion of American sanctions against Chinese-linked satellite, technology, and procurement firms allegedly connected to Iran's military ecosystem demonstrates that instability in West Asia can no longer be treated as a geographically contained security crisis. Instead, the conflict is increasingly embedded within broader patterns of technological competition, sanctions regimes, maritime security, global supply chains, and Sino-American strategic rivalry. The article contends that Iran will inevitably form part of the strategic calculations surrounding United States–China engagement, even when bilateral discussions are formally centred on trade, tariffs, investment, and market access. Particular attention is given to the growing use of sanctions as instruments of geopolitical competition and their capacity to generate retaliatory measures, corporate uncertainty, and wider economic fragmentation. The article further highlights the vulnerability of ASEAN and Malaysia to a dual strategic shock arising from continued instability in West Asia and the simultaneous erosion of trust between Washington and Beijing. Disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, energy flows, shipping networks, and technological supply chains could impose substantial economic costs on Southeast Asia's export-oriented economies. Ultimately, the article argues that ASEAN cannot remain strategically passive and must continue to advocate de-escalation, dialogue, neutrality, and inclusive regionalism in an era increasingly defined by overlapping conflicts and weaponised interdependence.
| Item Type: | Article (Electronic Media) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | US–China relations; Iran; West Asia; weaponised interdependence; sanctions; strategic rivalry; geopolitical fragmentation; Strait of Hormuz; ASEAN; energy security; supply-chain disruption; strategic de-escalation |
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JZ International relations |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) Office of the Rector |
| Depositing User: | Mr Muhammad Syameer Luthfy Bin Hamzah |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Jul 2026 16:48 |
| Last Update: | 21 Jul 2026 16:48 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-07-Q4200 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/130102 |
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