AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The recent U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has once again altered the geopolitical map of the world. It has become increasingly clear that merely possessing military power and the ability to pull the trigger is no longer sufficient to maintain dominance and influence. States can now reshape global dynamics through other means as well. Following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the world was reminded of an enduring reality: seas are not merely transportation routes but key instruments of global influence.
According to a report by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, major powers throughout history have competed for control of straits, waterways, and trade routes. For decades, the United States viewed the security of global maritime routes as a given and believed that its military and commercial power would allow it to manage any disruption to maritime transportation. During the same period, Washington remained occupied with managing crises, fueling divisions, and engaging in conflicts across various regions of the world. Meanwhile, China had already begun making extensive investments to establish a global maritime trade network capable of ensuring the uninterrupted flow of goods and cargo.
Beijing quickly recognized that control over land alone was insufficient and that the management and control of ports would be equally decisive. It was a realization that the United States reached much later.
Today, China's extensive influence over ports around the world provides it with significant leverage over global supply chains and even the ability to slow them during periods of geopolitical tension. Since the 1990s, China has pursued the revival of the Silk Road by connecting its trade to global markets through infrastructure development. It has invested in ports and projects worldwide to establish optimal routes for its commerce.
Belt and Road Initiative
The "One Belt, One Road" project, formally known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 and is regarded as one of the largest geopolitical and economic projects of the twenty-first century. Its objective is to revive the historic Silk Road through an extensive network of ports, railways, roads, energy corridors, and communication links connecting China to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
The initiative encompasses between 146 and 150 countries, including 53 African nations, 29 European countries, 22 Asian states, nine Middle Eastern countries, 12 Pacific nations, and 22 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The project consists of two principal components: the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road. The Silk Road Economic Belt is a land-based network extending from Central Asia to Europe, while the Maritime Silk Road comprises sea routes linking Chinese ports to the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
China has presented the initiative as a platform for shared development, expanded trade, and increased investment. Hundreds of projects worth hundreds of billions of dollars—including strategic ports, cross-border railways, power plants, and industrial zones—have been financed under its framework.
More than a decade after its launch, the initiative has evolved beyond a purely economic undertaking and has become a strategic instrument through which China projects its growing influence in competition with traditional Western power.
The String of Pearls
While the United States largely relied on military power, overseas bases, and military interventions to expand its influence, China chose a different path. Rather than deploying warships, Beijing entered numerous countries through investment and infrastructure development.
Between 2000 and 2025, China developed an extensive network of ports as part of what is often referred to as the "String of Pearls" or the Maritime Silk Road. The country financed approximately 363 port projects and holds major management stakes in 17 significant ports worldwide. It has also established broader influence through financing, development, and operational involvement in nearly 168 ports across 90 countries, representing investments valued at roughly $24 billion.
A prominent example of this influence is the Port of Port of Piraeus in Greece, which is fully owned by Chinese interests and has become one of China's most important gateways into Europe. In Africa, projects in Ghana and Cameroon have strengthened China's presence along the Atlantic coast. In Asia, Chinese investments in Brunei have facilitated access to critical energy routes.
While these projects were initially viewed as investments aimed at generating economic returns, they have increasingly become instruments of strategic influence. China is pursuing not only financial gains but also strategic positioning. Port management is particularly significant because approximately 35 percent of these projects grant Chinese companies rights of ownership, management, or operation. Real power lies with those who control vessel arrivals and departures, berth allocation, and data management
Gwadar Port: A Strategic Example
The Gwadar Port is among China's most significant projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. The port enables Beijing to access open seas without relying exclusively on routes such as the Strait of Malacca, thereby reducing its vulnerability to potential disruptions.
Gwadar serves as the centerpiece of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, a project intended to transform the port into a regional hub for trade, energy, and transportation. Since its inauguration, China and Pakistan have sought to develop it into a center for commerce, energy transfers, and re-export activities.
Following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the imposition of U.S. restrictions on Iranian ports, Tehran increasingly turned toward Gwadar. Located approximately 120 kilometers from the Iranian border on the Arabian Sea coast, the port offers an alternative commercial outlet. Pakistan also reduced customs duties on Iranian goods to encourage trade through this route.
The diversion of some Iranian shipping traffic from ports in the United Arab Emirates, particularly the Jebel Ali Port, toward Pakistani ports forms part of a broader trend involving the reconfiguration of trade and energy routes across West Asia. China views Gwadar as a vital foothold in the Arabian Sea and an important component of a trilateral logistical axis linking Iran, Pakistan, and China.
The port has helped mitigate some of the pressure on Iranian trade by providing alternative transit routes, storage facilities, and re-export opportunities, thereby alleviating part of the impact of sanctions. Nevertheless, Gwadar cannot yet fully replace Iran's principal ports, such as Port of Bandar Abbas and Port of Chabahar, as its capacity remains more limited than that of the major ports in the Persian Gulf.
Conclusion
In the twenty-first century, competition among global powers is no longer measured solely by the number of aircraft carriers or military bases. The ability to control the flow of trade, energy, and data has become a primary indicator of power. Ports have emerged as strategic instruments of influence capable of reshaping the global balance of power without a single shot being fired.
While traditional powers relied for decades on direct military dominance, China recognized earlier than many others that the most sustainable form of influence lies in making the world dependent on one's economic interests. In a world increasingly affected by wars, sanctions, and supply-chain disruptions, it has become more evident than ever that power belongs to the country capable of keeping the world connected—or, when necessary, denying that connectivity. Consequently, the future struggle for influence is likely to center on maritime chokepoints and the control of the arteries of the global economy.
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