With Mideast crisis, Russia and China hope to turn tables on US

With war in the Middle East, Russia and China are seeking to turn the tables. But the United States went ahead and vetoed a draft resolution last week it deemed insufficiently supportive of its ally. - China scores points -China and the United States have both sought diplomatic advantage in the crisis, including through a call between Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. With its limited security and diplomatic resources in the Middle East, China has a two-fold interest in keeping the United States focused on the crisis. "Obviously for China, it is better if the US is bogged down in the Middle East and the Gulf," Fulton said.