Aimless Rivalry: U.S. and China in the Middle East
July 17, 2025
24 min
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Episode 6 · July 17, 2025
Aimless Rivalry: U.S. and China in the Middle East
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24:30This episodeAimless Rivalry: U.S. and China in the Middle East
Summary
<p>Justin Logan and Jon Hoffman delve into Hoffman's latest policy analysis, "Aimless Rivalry: The Futility of U.S. China Competition in the Middle East." They debunk justifications for U.S. Middle East policy based on competition with China and challenge prevailing narratives in international relations. Tune in for a thorough discussion that puts threats in context and examines U.S. policy through a skeptical lens.</p><br /><p><strong>Show Notes:</strong></p><p>Hoffman, Jon. <em>Aimless Rivalry: The Flawed Assumptions Driving U.S. Middle East Policy</em>. Policy Analysis no. 956. Washington, DC: Cato Institute, July 24, 2023. <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/aimless-rivalry." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/aimless-rivalry.</a></p><p>Gholz, Eugene, and Daryl G. Press. “Why the Middle East Still Doesn’t Matter.” <em>Politico Magazine</em>, October 15, 2014. <a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/10/why-the-middle-east-still-doesnt-matter-111747/." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/10/why-the-middle-east-still-doesnt-matter-111747/.</a></p><p>Ashford, Emma. <em>The Case for Withdrawing from the Middle East</em>. Washington, DC: Defense Priorities, 2019. <a href="https://www.defensepriorities.org/reports/the-case-for-withdrawing-from-the-middle-east/." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.defensepriorities.org/reports/the-case-for-withdrawing-from-the-middle-east/.</a></p><p>Preble, Christopher A., and Jon Hoffman. “Middle East Security.” In <em>Cato Handbook for Policymakers</em>, 9th ed., 406–13. Washington, DC: Cato Institute, 2022. <a href="https://www.cato.org/cato-handbook-policymakers/cato-handbook-policymakers-9th-edition-2022/middle-east-security." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cato.org/cato-handbook-policymakers/cato-handbook-policymakers-9th-edition-2022/middle-east-security.</a></p><p>Hoffman, Jon. “The U.S. Has Nothing to Fear from China in the Middle East.” <em>Cato Institute</em>, June 20, 2023. <a href="https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-has-nothing-fear-china-middle-east." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-has-nothing-fear-china-middle-east.</a></p><p>Hoffman, Jon. “Jon Hoffman Participates in Event: U.S.-China Competition and the Value of the Middle East.” <em>Cato Institute</em>, April 25, 2023. <a href="https://www.cato.org/multimedia/media-highlights-tv/jon-hoffman-participates-event-us-china-competition-value-middle." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cato.org/multimedia/media-highlights-tv/jon-hoffman-participates-event-us-china-competition-value-middle.</a></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>