The axis of evil

China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are colluding to disrupt the peace and security of the world. Known today as the axis of evil, the four are actively destabilizing their respective regions as they carry out their individual agendas.

China is the sole cause of tensions in the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, West Philippine Sea, India, Tibet and Bhutan; Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine has destabilized  Europe; Iran has wrought havoc in the Gulf through its proxy militias and North Korea threatens nuclear attacks on South Korea.

The members of the axis each have their own agenda – territorial expansion, pursuit of hegemony and jihad are among them. But  what they have in common is the desire to upend the current world order.

As we all are know, the world order was designed by the US after World War 2 with these characteristics: a rules-based global regime based on laws, treaties and agreements provided for by the United Nations and its attached agencies; liberal democratic values such as human rights and free-market capitalism; globalization or linking economies through trade and investments; the containment of communism and multilateral cooperation to address global challenges like arms control and climate change.

America holds the strongest influence in global affairs owing to having the largest economy and for being the architect of the world order. Hence, the US dollar has become the base currency for international trade and government reserves.

Due to their bad behavior in the realms of trade, territorial disputes and military conduct, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have been on the receiving end of sanctions, albeit to varying degrees. The four face trade sanctions (e.g. tariffs, trade restrictions and embargoes), financial sanctions (e.g. asset freezes, banking restrictions and investment bans), military sanctions (e.g. arms embargoes) and diplomatic sanctions. The United States has led this charge.

In recent years, the four have begun to cooperate to circumvent these sanctions, thwart isolation and forward their respective ambitions. They also seek to undermine the US dollar as the de facto currency for trade.

For example, neither China, Iran nor North Korea condemned Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. Rather, they pinned the blame on NATO.

In Ukraine’s battlegrounds, you will find artillery shells and soldiers from North Korea, drones from Iran and radars from China.

China has become Russia’s economic lifeline. Beijing has ramped up its imports of  Russian oil and gas, pumping in billions of dollars into the Russian economy. This allowed Russia to finance its war. For its part, some 83 percent of China’s advance weapons are imported from Russia. Trade between the two have increased two-fold in the last decade, topping $244.8 billion in 2024. Both countries have begun to trade in the Russian ruble and Chinese yuan.

Technology transfer from Russia has been a game-changer for China. Beijing relies on Moscow for technologies relating to nuclear submarines, fighter jets and remote sensing satellites.

As for North Korea, Iran provides Pyongyang with missile technologies, the same supplied by Tehran to its terrorist proxies.

North Korean frozen currencies amounting to $30 million were unlocked by Moscow from Russian banks. Russia is also providing North Korea with intercontinental ballistic missile technologies.

As for Iran’s terror campaign in the Gulf, neither China, Russia nor North Korea denounced the terror attack on Israel last  Oct. 7.

Russia is Iran’s largest source of foreign investment which helps keep its economy alive. Meanwhile, China is Iran’s largest market for oil and manufactured goods. More significantly, Russia is Iran’s staunch defender in the UN Security Council.

The axis of evil has held joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman for three consecutive years with more planned in the future. By joining forces, they amplify their power beyond what they are capable of on their own. Moreover, by instigating multiple conflicts in multiple geographic locations, they dilute the military potency of the US and her allies.

A fragile pact

Anti-American sentiments are what binds the four nations together. It is also what fuels their call for an alternative world order. No surprise, many nations want to join the group if only to circumvent sanctions. Venezuela, Cuba, Sudan and Eritrea are among them.

What we see is a classic “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” scenario even if the four have opposed each other on many occasions.

It will be recalled that in 1941, the USSR invaded Iran and employed separatists to create puppet states. Russia also had a long-standing dispute with China for the Amur and Ussuri River areas, among others. Russia and China opposed Iran’s nuclear program in the early 2000’s. Russia, China and Iran participated to isolate North Korea form the world.

Even today, Russia and China are competing for influence over Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, China and Iran are competing for influence over Pakistan and Afghanistan.

That said, we can safely conclude that the “partnership” is a fragile one, at best.

Meanwhile, the US has employed a host of strategies to blunt the efforts of the axis, to preserve the peace and maintain the status quo. These include strengthening alliances and partnerships with like-minded countries, especially in geopolitical hotspots; disrupting military cooperation between the four (e.g. intercepting weapons transfers, block the flow of dual-use technologies);  employing diplomacy to further isolate the four; reducing dependence on their exports; intelligence sharing with like-minded countries; exploiting divergencies and/or existing conflicts between the four.

Time will tell if the axis will succeed in disrupting the status quo and upending the world order. My bet is that it will dissolve as soon as conflicts of interest arise between them. After all, this is a partnership not based on principles or ideology but out of sheer spite for America.

*      *      *

Email: andrew_rs6@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan