Through a silent yet strategically orchestrated advance, Beijing has woven a global network of ports, encompassing over 120 projects across every corner of the map — from the Panama Canal to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
China did not need to fire a single shot to extend its influence across every ocean on the planet.
Through a silent yet strategically orchestrated advance, Beijing has woven a global network of ports, encompassing over 120 projects across every corner of the map — from the Panama Canal to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
These assets are not merely commercial hubs.
They are levers of economic and geopolitical power, capable of shaping global trade flows, security, and the strategic balance of power.
According to an analysis by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Chinese companies have acquired or manage over 120 port projects worldwide, more than 100 of which are fully operational.
From Africa and South America to Southeast Asia, China’s share in port infrastructure already exceeds one-third of commercial transshipments in many countries.
Behind the economic footprint lies something much deeper: a system of global supply dependency, in which Beijing now controls critical nodes of international trade.
The Panama Canal case is illustrative.
Both entrances to the canal are controlled by CK Hutchison Holdings of Hong Kong, sparking strong reactions in Washington.
The U.S. is calling for a revision of contracts citing national security concerns, while the Chinese state-owned company COSCO Shipping Ports seeks to maintain its veto over future infrastructure sales.
In Africa, China is constructing or financing dozens of projects — from Lekki Port in Nigeria to Djibouti, which now hosts its first overseas military base.
In Latin America, Chancay Port in Peru, also a COSCO project, operates as a strategic commercial hub that reduces Beijing’s dependence on the U.S.
Western countries appear to be reacting belatedly.
The European Commission is attempting to strengthen control over foreign investment in critical infrastructure, while Australia and India are trying to block Chinese projects in their regions.
However, Beijing has already undertaken a decade of strategic planning, securing key positions before the West fully grasped the scale of the phenomenon.
China plays the “long game”
Unlike the U.S. and EU, which act reactively and through regulations, China has adopted a port-based diplomacy:
rather than exerting political pressure, it offers investments, loans, and projects.
Its ports operate as instruments of influence without aggression — a gentle yet highly effective form of power.
The West, fixated on sanctions and military balances, risks losing control of the arteries of global trade permanently.
If this trend continues, Beijing will not merely be “the factory of the world” — it will become the manager of the world’s maritime routes.
www.bankingnews.gr
Through a silent yet strategically orchestrated advance, Beijing has woven a global network of ports, encompassing over 120 projects across every corner of the map — from the Panama Canal to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
These assets are not merely commercial hubs.
They are levers of economic and geopolitical power, capable of shaping global trade flows, security, and the strategic balance of power.
According to an analysis by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Chinese companies have acquired or manage over 120 port projects worldwide, more than 100 of which are fully operational.
From Africa and South America to Southeast Asia, China’s share in port infrastructure already exceeds one-third of commercial transshipments in many countries.
Behind the economic footprint lies something much deeper: a system of global supply dependency, in which Beijing now controls critical nodes of international trade.
The Panama Canal case is illustrative.
Both entrances to the canal are controlled by CK Hutchison Holdings of Hong Kong, sparking strong reactions in Washington.
The U.S. is calling for a revision of contracts citing national security concerns, while the Chinese state-owned company COSCO Shipping Ports seeks to maintain its veto over future infrastructure sales.
In Africa, China is constructing or financing dozens of projects — from Lekki Port in Nigeria to Djibouti, which now hosts its first overseas military base.
In Latin America, Chancay Port in Peru, also a COSCO project, operates as a strategic commercial hub that reduces Beijing’s dependence on the U.S.
Western countries appear to be reacting belatedly.
The European Commission is attempting to strengthen control over foreign investment in critical infrastructure, while Australia and India are trying to block Chinese projects in their regions.
However, Beijing has already undertaken a decade of strategic planning, securing key positions before the West fully grasped the scale of the phenomenon.
China plays the “long game”
Unlike the U.S. and EU, which act reactively and through regulations, China has adopted a port-based diplomacy:
rather than exerting political pressure, it offers investments, loans, and projects.
Its ports operate as instruments of influence without aggression — a gentle yet highly effective form of power.
The West, fixated on sanctions and military balances, risks losing control of the arteries of global trade permanently.
If this trend continues, Beijing will not merely be “the factory of the world” — it will become the manager of the world’s maritime routes.
www.bankingnews.gr
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