🧵 What does the China-brokered normalization deal between #SaudiArabia and #Iran mean for great power competition between the United States and #China? 
1. Because the Gulf remains an essential energy source, major host of domestic and international capital, and a central node for maritime and naval connectivity, great powers will always aim to play a major role in the region.
2. China's economic prosperity is tied to energy imports from the Gulf. Brokering a deal with Saudi Arabia and Iran that could de-escalate regional tensions is a direct Chinese interest.
3. The deal symbolizes a strategic dilemma: Without a US-based security architecture, China will be able to fill the gaps left by the US. As Washington pivots to the #IndoPacific, China is pivoting East to fill Washington's gaps.
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