China is playing a long game on both Taiwan and Iran, analysts said.

Beijing believes the global balance of power is slowly tilting in its favor and sees “patience as a winning strategy,” two experts wrote in Foreign Affairs.

China’s leaders view “reunification” with Taiwan — its eventual goal for the self-governed island — as less costly the longer they wait, as opposed to a near-term invasion.

On Iran, Beijing is similarly “willing to be patient,” giving its close partner “more time to entangle the US in drawn-out conflict,” a commodities analyst wrote in Semafor Gulf: “As long as [China] can protect its energy security and avoid direct confrontation,” the stalemate over Hormuz becomes a geopolitical advantage.