Washington’s one-two punch capturing Venezuela’s leader and then killing Iran’s in coordination with Israel has put Beijing on the back foot, according to former U.S. officials who have helped craft China policy.
Matt Pottinger, who served in U.S. President Donald Trump’s first administration as deputy national security advisor, sees the Iran war as challenging what he calls a broader China strategy to use an “Axis of Chaos” to weaken America. That theory — popularized by Pottinger — places China at the center of a deepening partnership with countries such as Russia, Iran and North Korea.
“Beijing is the primary backer of a cohort of autocratic proxies who can challenge U.S. influence, sap the attention and resources of Washington and its democratic allies, and generally weaken American prestige,” he said. He took inspiration for his theory from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks in 2021 that the global situation was defined by “chaos” and “opportunities generally outweigh the challenges” for China.
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