Is it China’s turn in Lebanon? CORONAVIRUS

Over the past 10 years, the commercial landscape of the Middle East and North Africa has undergone a gradual but radical change. Gone are the goods from the West that used to fill the shelves of corner shops and supermarkets.

What they now stock is the full gamut of Chinese-made products, from cellphones to air-conditioners and from school stationery to washing machines. Few countries of the region exemplify the phenomenon as clearly as cashstrapped Lebanon.

With the first case of COVID-19 was recorded on February 21 in Lebanon, Chinese authorities rushed to deliver medical assistance to the government. The gesture created the impression that Beijing was seeking a foothold in Lebanon, which had long been viewed as a playground of world powers and the Middle East’s gateway to the West due to its strategic location, refined culture, superior education system and its people’s flair for business.

A call sounded by the Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah, in November last year, and repeated a few weeks ago, to “Go to China to save Lebanon financially and economically,” has left many wondering whether Lebanese politicians are aligning their country too closely with the Asian power.

In an op-ed that appeared to encapsulate the view from Washington, Danielle Pletka, senior fellow at the American Enterprises Institute, wrote: “While the Islamic Republic of Iran is still calling the political shots, vultures from Beijing are circling, eyeing tasty infrastructure assets like ports and airports as well as soft power influence