China stands to gain from US moving military assets for Iran war: cross-strait adviser

‘Any weakening of its presence in the Asia-Pacific will inevitably work to someone’s advantage – and you can imagine who that is’3-MIN READ3-MIN5 ListenPublished: 7:00pm, 11 Mar 2026Beijing could gain a strategic edge in the Taiwan-strait" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="5508" data-entity-type="location">Taiwan Strait as US military assets are diverted to the Middle East, even though it remains committed to peaceful reunification with the island, a prominent mainland expert on the Taiwan issue said on Tuesday.Li Yihu, dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Peking University and a delegate to China’s National People’s Congress, said Washington’s involvement in multiple conflicts, including the ongoing war in Iran, was straining its armed forces and diminishing its military presence in Asia.Referring to the recent redeployment of parts of the US THAAD anti-missile system and Patriot missile defence batteries from South Korea to the Middle East, Li said the diversion would significantly affect US deployments in East Asia. South Korea may see US missiles move to Middle EastSouth Korea may see US missiles move to Middle East“Any weakening of its presence in the Asia-Pacific will inevitably work to someone’s advantage – and you can imagine who that is,” Li said.With advances in area-denial capabilities in the Taiwan-strait" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="5508" data-entity-type="location">Taiwan Strait, Beijing stands to benefit if US military deployments are eroded in the region, according to Li.The Israeli-American military campaign in Iran has entered its 12th day, with Iran growing more defiant in the face of United States and Israeli pressure, and electing Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as its new supreme leader this week.Meanwhile, concerns are rising that a prolonged conflict would change the posture of US forces in regions where deterring other powers is critical. The relocation of the US defence system has raised alarm.However, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday said the redeployment – which he said Seoul could not prevent in any event – would not compromise South Korea’s ability to deter North Korea.