PRC GAVE IRAN SATELLITE IMAGERY OF U.S. BASES
Chinese entities provided Iran with the high-resolution satellite photos used in a July 17th ballistic missile strike that killed three U.S. troops and wounded four at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The imagery revealed facility updates that helped Iran strike high-value targets, while post-attack visuals allowed Tehran to assess the effectiveness of its attack and plan more strikes. The intelligence sharing is part of a broader pattern of Chinese assistance to Iran, including the provision of navigation services and drone and missile components. U.S. officials are investigating whether China also provides intelligence to help Iran track U.S. warships. In May, the U.S. sanctioned Chinese firms MizarVision, Earth Eye, and Chang Guang for supplying Tehran with targeting imagery, navigation services, and drone components. (Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2026)
AFTER SAUDI APPEAL, CHINA PRESSES IRAN TO REIN IN HOUTHIS
Following an appeal from Saudi Arabia amid rapid Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast, China has pressed Tehran to rein in the militant group. Riyadh turned to Beijing as Houthi advances near the Bab al-Mandab Strait have left Saudi oil facilities and shipping increasingly vulnerable. In conveying Saudi concerns, Beijing went beyond its normal public calls for restraint, directly cautioning Iranian officials that Houthi disruptions are threatening vital regional energy infrastructure in the region. China is Iran's top economic partner and purchases over 80 percent of its seaborne oil, about 1.4 million barrels per day. "China does not wish to see regional tensions further spill over into Yemen and the Red Sea," the PRC foreign ministry said in a statement. (The Kathmandu Post, September 18, 2026)
CHINA UPGRADES DJIBOUTI BASE
Recent upgrades to China's military base in Djibouti are enhancing its ability to monitor military activity across the Middle East and Africa. Satellite imagery of the base shows that since mid-2024 two new communications compounds with new antennas and satellite equipment have been installed. Positioned near the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait and within 10 miles of U.S. and allied military installations, the expanded infrastructure strengthens command-and-control links with Beijing while allowing China to monitor signals intelligence and track the movements of forces in the region. "The type and orientation of the base's new equipment is varied, enabling transmission and detection across a wide range of signals and frequencies," detailed a new report by the Center for Strategic & International Studies. (CNBC, September 18, 2026)
PRC STATE FIRM SUPPLIED MATERIAL FOR RUSSIAN DRONES
The Chinese state-owned company Jilin Chemical Fiber Group exported enough military-grade carbon fiber for up to 1,300 long-range kamikaze drones to Alabuga-Volokno, a sanctioned Russian firm that makes drone components. According to Russian shipping documents, a shipment of two 40-foot shipping containers containing 46 tons of polyacrylonitrile precursor — the chemical used in military-grade carbon fiber — was purposefully mislabeled as civilian synthetic fibers to avoid detection and evade Western sanctions. "This evidence provides irrefutable proof that Chinese state-owned companies are involved in the supply chains of raw materials to Russia," said Serhii Kuzan of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center. (Politico, September 4, 2026)
CHINA OPENS CANAL LINK TO SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARKETS
China has opened the 134 km Pinglu Canal, a 72.7 billion yuan ($10.3 billion) infrastructure mega-project linking Nanning, Guangxi to the Gulf of Tonkin. Designed to bypass Guangzhou, the waterway – which Beijing calls the "project of our century" – shortens sea transport distances for China's southwestern provinces like Sichuan, Chongqing, and Yunnan by over 560 km. Construction was begun in August 2022, and required excavating new channels while widening, deepening, and modifying existing rivers. The canal will cut freight and logistics costs by 18 to 30 percent, generating an estimated 5 billion yuan in annual savings while facilitating exports of Chinese coal, ore, cereals, chemicals, and manufactured goods to Southeast Asian markets. (The Straits Times, September 16, 2026)