India, April 1 -- Even before the four large democracies in the Indo-Pacific were able to create a clear road map towards building deterrence against China in 2017, Beijing had begun spadework to offset power equations away from the Asian continent, in the Middle East. Its strategy was a message to both, the US and India - the two Indo-Pacific democracies impacted most by China's Middle East power play - to jettison their efforts to contain Beijing's aggression in Asia. China's Middle East strategy rested on the ambition to challenge the US' power and create uncertainty for India's oil needs. It is in this context that the China-Iran partnership - which was in the works since 2016 and announced last week - needs to be viewed. The deal cou...