“Laying Anchor Into Chinese Overseas Ports”

On January 27, Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (“Wong MNC Center”) published an Op-Ed in The Diplomat which kicked off a multi-part series on Chinese overseas ports, an already hot topic which has only become hotter after Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025.  In the piece, which carries the title “Laying Anchor into Chinese Overseas Ports,” Dr. Blanchard identifies some of the putative economic and political motivations (many repeatedly rehashed) causing China to sail into overseas ports, notes some deficiencies present in extant assessments (a big one is to assume everything is about “Beijing” and to ignore that host/participant countries are pulling China into their ports), and gives a brief overview of China’s presence in overseas ports as an investor, contractor, and lender.  He further eludes on some risks observers have associated with China’s role in overseas ports.  These include inter alia fears of foreign company and country displacement, a blossoming of dual-use (read: naval base) ports, and hidden backdoors, spying, and disconnected political and economic relationships.  Dr. Blanchard closes the Op-Ed with a preview of the next three pieces in the series.

The piece is Jean-Marc F. Blanchard, “Laying Anchor into Chinese Overseas Ports,” The Diplomat, January 27, 2026 and is available at https://thediplomat.com/2026/01/laying-anchor-into-chinese-overseas-ports.