China–Iran Relations: Cautious Friendship with America’s Nemesis

Abstract

China views Iran as an important country sharing many interests and views with China, and with whom China may benefit via cooperation in a wide number of areas. China views Iran as an especially reliable oil supplier in the event of a crisis in Sino-American relations, and as a capable and ambitious country defending itself against American aggressiveness. Yet Beijing also views maintaining comity in relations with the United States as vital to the success of China’s long-term development drive. Beijing eschews open challenge to the US over Iran as potentially undermining Sino-US comity precisely because the US drive against Iran is so strategically important to what China views as a US drive to secure control of Persian Gulf oil. Beijing also views cooperation with Washington in the area of nuclear non-proliferation, and thus the Iran nuclear issue, as a factor stabilising Sino-US relations. China’s ties with Iran thus vacillate between cooperation with Iran that often flies in the face of US efforts to sanction Iran, and cooperation with Washington to pressure Tehran over its nuclear programmes.