As China’s increasing assertiveness in the Middle East stands in stark contrast with the U.S. fading footprint, this article is attempting to examine the whole situation based on Beijing’s perspective. Specifically, it indicates that China’s strategies in achieving its interests revolve around four main tenets: partnerships with individual countries, non-interference, continuous increase of its economic footprint, and avoidance of a direct challenge to the U.S.-led security architecture. However, Beijing’s approach deems to be unsustainable in the long term since a deeper economic engagement will be translated into political entanglements, inevitably leading to further military involvement.