ANNA COREN:
00:00:16
Under bleak winter skies, thousands of delegates arrived in Beijing for one of the country's most important political events. But hanging over this year's National People's Congress, the war in the Middle East, 3,500 miles away. Excuse me, sir. Hello. Except nobody here wants to talk about it. Are you concerned about the war in Iran and how it will affect China? Do you think that this is part of President Trump's plan to contain China? Are you concerned about China's energy supply with the war in Iran? The US and Israel-led war on Iran has exposed China's Achilles heel-- its reliance on oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. China is the largest importer of energy in the world and buys nearly all of Iran's sanctioned oil. Right now, that supply line has been severely disrupted. China is also one of Iran's closest allies. Inside the Great Hall of the People, Chinese leader Xi Jinping watched on as the premier delivered the annual report and his country unveiled its new five-year plan, focusing on becoming technologically self-reliant. While the five-year plan is critical in setting out China's strategy, the outcome of the war in the Middle East could have a much larger impact on the longterm future of China's economy. Facing a growing rivalry with the US, China is continuing to spend on defense and is aiming for global supremacy in AI, quantum computing, among other technologies. China has condemned the war. It sent a special envoy to the region to try to de-escalate tensions. But if this becomes a protracted conflict, China could in fact benefit with the US draining resources, military hardware, and losing focus on its greatest power rival.
JERICKA DUNCAN:
00:02:07
Anna Coren in Beijing, thank you.
