China brokering a deal for Saudi Arabia and Iran to exchange diplomatic relations is a warning to the world of Chinese influence, according to former Amb. John Bolton.
"What this reflects is their fear that the U.S.'s administration still hasn't given up on a nuclear deal, getting back into the nuclear deal with Iran," Bolton, a senior foreign policy, defense, and national security official in both the Bush and Trump administrations, told Sunday's "The Cats Roundtable" on WABC 770 AM-N.Y.
"It's an indication that the Saudis and others are trying to hedge their bets with China and Russia, because they don't think the United States has the resolve and fortitude necessary to do what they need to do to protect the world against Iran and its intentions both on the terrorist front and the nuclear front."
China is increasingly "in the catbird seat" with respect to Russia, too, Bolton warned host John Catsimatidis.
"We're watching Russia slip increasingly under Chinese control," Bolton said.
During the era of the Soviet Union, the U.S.S.R. was the big brother to China, but now that relationship is the other way around.
"This is China's alliance that it's putting together, and Russia is the junior partner – and that's not good for any of us," Bolton continued. "I'd like to find ways to pry Russia away from China, and I think that's impossible to do while this war's going on."
China is gobbling up world market share as it helps support Russia, putting China in a no-lose situation, according to Bolton.
If Russia loses ground in Ukraine, it will become increasingly reliant on China's support. If Russia wears down Ukraine and eventually takes over, it bolsters the China-Russia alliance.
"What the Chinese are doing is just basic blocking and tackling," Bolton concluded.
"We've got to get our act together in the United States or this is only going to get worse."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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