Brookings published in February 2023 a policy brief titled "The United States, China, and the 'New Non-Aligned' Countries" by Madiha Afzal, Bruce Riedel, and Natan Sachs.
The policy brief focuses on China's engagement in global competition with "new non-aligned" countries in South Asia, the Middle East, and Horn of Africa. It defines the "new non-aligned" as those that prefer a less-than-clear alignment with the United States or China.
China uses extensive economic engagement as a prequel and precursor for strategic and political influence--using economic clout to yield a strategic advantage.
