The Dragon Reaches the Eastern Mediterranean: Why the Region Matters to China.

The Eastern Mediterranean region has been the subject of global power competition for many decades. Europe, Russia, and the United States have at different stages and in changing configurations sought to exercise influence in and power over various countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. But over the course of the past decade, the aforementioned triangle has been reshaped into a quadrangle. A new external actor has emerged and firmly planted its flag in the Eastern Mediterranean. The fourth country in question is the People's Republic of China. This article focuses on Greece, Turkey, and Israel as empirical examples of China's expanding footprint in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]