iran, china relations

Although Persian was still spoken among some Muslim communities, due to decreased contact with the Middle East, language use declined. Rather than asking if the agreement is mutually beneficial to China and Iran, it would be better to consider a different version of that question: “Who in Iran and China does it benefit?”. Documents from Mount Mogh also note the presence of a Chinese general in the service of the king of Sogdiana at the time of the Arab incursion. This Strategic Cooperation Agreement, as it is officially known, has been hailed as a massive overhaul of Sino-Iranian relations that will see China invest anywhere from $400 to $600 billion in Iran, with some estimates running as high as $800 billion. Oddly, these loanwords are typically themselves loans from a pre-Iranian substrate, e.g. [24] Later in 2007, CNPC signed a $3.6 billion deal to develop offshore gas fields in Iran and then signed another $2 billion contract to develop the northern Iranian oil field near Ahvaz. [23], About 2,000 Chinese now live in Tehran, and 70 Chinese companies have relocated to Iran.[24]. Switzerland is the U.S. protecting power and provides limited consular services […] Many tombstones and archaeological tablets found in China are also probably written in the Perso-Arabic script. In fact, China has similar Strategic Cooperative Agreements with five other countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Iran’s regional rivals. Lin Nu was the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty reformer Li Zhi. Also, 300 Chinese potters produced glazed tile buildings, and hundreds of others produced metalwork, miniature paintings, calligraphy, glasswork, tile work, and pottery. Parthians also played a role in the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism from Central Asia to China. [52] There also continues to be Chinese nuclear experts, scientists, and technicians present in Iran. A History of Chinese civilization, Jacques Gernet. Lucille Greer and Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, two researchers who have analyzed the leaked draft extensively, have argued in the Washington Post that the agreement is “not as alarming as it sounds.” Fan Hongda, a Chinese academic at the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International University, called the agreement “just a roadmap” that depends on “the strength and depth” of future Sino-Iranian cooperation. [2], In 1289 Kublai Khan established a Muslim university in Beijing. China is seen as a vital lifeline for a country weakened by sanctions and diplomatic isolation. It carries great symbolic significance and allows the Iranian state some room to posture and negotiate. [26][27], In 2011, the group Green Experts of Iran reported that Beijing and Tehran had signed an extensive deal that would give China exclusive rights to several Iranian oil and natural gas fields through 2024. The line was constructed by the Chinese company NORINCO. No Specific Commitments, No $400 Billion Investment. For China, it provides similar benefits – a stake in a major source of oil (although Iran provides a tiny fraction of China’s overall oil imports), a large foreign market for Chinese goods (although one that requires a lot of investment), and both real and symbolic progress toward the realization of the Belt and Road Initiative and the expansion of China’s global reach. [61] There has also been recent discussion for Iran to eventually join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, of which it is currently an observer state, as a full member. Iran also recognizes that China does not view Iran as a uniquely essential Middle Eastern partner. The soft power pipelines,[67] too, that the Iranians have exerted towards China has been received with open arms. Despite the fanfare surrounding the 25-year deal, details are scarce. [57] Official diplomatic relations were established in 1937 with Li Tieh-tseng served as ambassador representing the Republic of China. [49] For example, in 2005 seven Chinese firms were suspected of selling nuclear weapons technology and all 7 had sanctions placed upon them. [49], China and Iran holding first joint naval drills in 2017. But there remained some distance between Mao's regime and that of the Shah because of ideology. Southeast It has also allegedly been increasing military links with Syria in recent years, albeit in a more limited sense than Moscow, partly because of the presence of Uighur militant rebels on the side of the Syrian rebels.[60]. Sino-Persian relations (Chinese: 中国–波斯关系, Persian: [same as above]) refer to the historic diplomatic, cultural and economic relations between the cultures of China proper and Greater Iran, dating back to ancient times, since at least 200 B.C. Sales increased to $600 million from 1997 to 2000. The foreign relations of Iran are the economic and diplomatic relationships between the Iranian government and governments of other countries. When the USSR signed the Soviet-Indian friendship treaty, the relationship became a way to counter increasing Russian influence in the Persian Gulf. Dr. William Figueroa is a recent graduate of the History Ph.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in historical and contemporary Sino-Iranian relations. attack. “China and Iran enjoy traditional friendship, and the two sides have been in communication on the development of bilateral relations,” he said. Burton Watson). The deal, worth $100 billion, adds an extra 250 million tons of LNG to China's energy supply, to be extracted from Iran's Yadavaran field over a 25-year period. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the day after that the China-Iran Strategic Comprehensive Agreement “neither includes any quantitative, specific contracts and goals nor targets any third party, and will provide a general framework for China-Iran cooperation going forward.”, The same day, Reza Zabib, head of East Asia at Iran Foreign Ministry, called the agreement a “non-binding document.” In response to why the text has not been published, he claimed that “there is a legal requirement to publish agreements; however, the publication of non-binding documents is not common.”. While there is also a shared distrust of the United States' government and its interests, many young Chinese and Iranians at the same time admire certain aspects of American society and culture. [23] In 1996, the Washington Post reported that China was supplying chemical weapons plants in Iran that were destined for the Army. [19][30] In 2017, 64% of an export total $16.9 billion with China was crude oil. [44][45][46] Above all the reasons for the timing of this agreement is the rivalry between the US, the main opponent to Iran, and China, the main supporter to Iran, plays the major role in taking the step of signing the agreement. Nonetheless, a closer look at its implications suggests that it may be useful in achieving some U.S. goals with Iran: particularly regime … For all its propaganda, China, like Iran, is more interested in its immediate geopolitical goals than a revolution. In April 2015, China stated that Iran had been officially accepted as a founding member of its newly founded Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, with the latter owning 15,808 shares. [33] Iran's Deputy Minister of Commerce Mehdi Ghazanfari speculated that trade exchanges between Iran and China would exceed $25 billion in 2008. Because of this reliance on Iranian oil and gas, China is now investing in the modernization of Iran's oil and gas sector to secure access to the resource. China was invited to 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire. Click here to subscribe for full access. Leverage". The last members of the Sassanian Empire's royal family fled to Tang China. A total of 17 agreements were signed, including one which relates to the Iranian nuclear program. [39], As of 2019, Iran has signed onto Chinese leader Xi Jinping's signature One Belt One Road plan,[40] and Iran is considered to be a key part of China's geopolitical ambitions in central Asia and the Middle East, sometimes described in terms of a new Great Game. Another Chinese company, Sinopec Group, gets half-share in Yardarvaran oil fields worth about 100 billion for the purpose of exploration. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, pose for photos after the ceremony of signing documents, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 27, 2021. Ratifications were exchanged on 6 February 1922, with effect on the same day. Large numbers of Sassanian coins have been found in southern China confirming the existence of bilateral maritime trade.[2]. [24], China is known for its preference of diplomacy over sanctions. Others claim that Iran will be flooded with Chinese workers and crime-ridden Chinatowns. ", "China's response to the Soleimani killing", "Chinese 'Soft Power Pipelines Diffusion' (SPPD) to the Middle Eastern Arab Countries 2000-2018: A Discursive-Institutional Study", "China's Soft Power in China-Iran Relations", "Chinese Soft-Power in the Arab world – China's Confucius Institutes as a central tool of influence", "Loanword Adaptation in Mandarin Chinese: Perceptual, Phonological and Sociolinguistic Factors", "The Semantic Loanwords and Phonemic Loanwords in Chinese Language", http://www.iranian.com/main/2010/aug/china-and-iran-, China’s Soft Power in China-Iran Relations, A Reappraisal of China-Iran Ties After US JCPOA Withdrawal, Chinese-Iranian relations i. It is notable that both pledges came in the wake of a new U.S. president with a new foreign policy. There are also no provisions whatsoever for the sale of islands, military bases, occupation, or anything that would sustain the other alarmist claims. Rumors of the J-15's unreliability have been greatly exaggerated. Others have gone further and explicitly called China and Iran “the new Axis of Evil.” On social media, Iranians have decried rumors that the deal will lead to nuclear waste dumped in the desert and islands in the Gulf sold to China. [43] In 2020, a leaked document showed that a 25-year strategic partnership would be implemented between the two countries, in which China would invest in Iranian infrastructure, transport and seaports, in exchange, Iran would provide a heavily discounted regular supply of its oil. Some analysts have expressed concerns that the deal threatens U.S. goals in the Middle East, or the fundamental stability of the region itself. Because of its limited refining capacity, Iran imports one-third of its refined products such as petrol from China. Official relations began in 1937. The agreement was signed despite U.S. protests to have China limit its nuclear cooperation with Iran. Both sides have now admitted that the plan contains no “quantitative, specific contracts” and is a “non-binding document.” In my view, this confirms what was signed was little changed from the leaked agreement last summer. There was a rapid increase in oil importation from 1974 into the 1990s. [35] China is now responsible for about 9.5% of all Iranian imports. [12][13], Notable Chinese Muslims who undertook the task of translation of Persian into Chinese include Chang Zhimei (medicine) and Liu Zhi. But there are other barriers as well: Due to the bad reputation of Chinese goods, many Iranians are reluctant to buy them, and both sides grumble about the difficulty of dealing with the bureaucracy of the other. By Robin Wright, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, 17 November 2004; Page A21, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=China–Iran_relations&oldid=1022288436, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox bilateral relations usage without maps, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2011, Articles needing more detailed references, Articles with empty sections from June 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [16], In March 2021, the two countries signed a 25-year cooperation agreement. Although often directed to focus on specific areas or countries in line with diplomatic initiatives, a business must remain profitable, and both sides must be willing to do business on the micro level as well as the macro level. Asia, Asia © 2021 Diplomat Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. [21], Only in 2010 under US pressure, did China join Russia[23][53] to support the UN sanctions on Iran. In 1971, Imperial Iran supported Red China's bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 and it voted in favour to admit Beijing and replace Taipei. In March 2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement that will strengthen the relations between the two countries and that will include “political, strategic and economic” components.[1]. [21], Even Chinese state-ran news agencies upheld the validity of the internationally controversial election[specify] and ultimately attributed any problems that day to terrorists and vandals. Following the conquest of Iran by Muslim Arabs, Peroz III, the son of Yazdegerd III, escaped, along with a few Persian nobles and took refuge in the Chinese imperial court. At the same time, Persian women also intermarried with Chinese men: see Lin Nu, Liu Chang (Southern Han), Wang Zongyan (married Li Shunxian). It provides no methods for enforcement, measurable goals, or specific programs. Iranian officials and state media have also referred to the fact that China considers its interests and its relations with important countries to have priority over its relations with the regime and, due to considerations in its relations with other countries, prevents the full publication of the document. [4] Both Peroz and his son Narsieh (Chinese neh-shie) were given high titles at the Tang court. However, the paper admits that while these areas were created to attract foreign investors, “the infrastructure that exists in our free zones, unfortunately, has not been able to actively attract even domestic investment.” In other words, the Chinese side has yet to commit to specifics and historically has been reluctant to do so. A Mutually Beneficial Agreement? Though likely related, it is unknown which one was derived from the other. [23], It was not until the 1990s that the relationship between China and Iran came under close scrutiny by the United States. But unlike its neighbors, South Korea has so far refused to turn to a ready supplier: China. Asia, Central "Getting China to Sanction Iran", Dennis Van Vranken Hickley (1990). The first Iranian embassy was formed in December 1973 and Abbas Aram was appointed to the post, becoming the first Iranian diplomat to serve in China though the first embassy opened in 1942. United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, October 2006. [24], Beijing has generally supported the Iran-backed government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, joining Russia in vetoing several U.N. resolutions condemning Assad's actions in the Syrian civil war, and strongly opposing Western interference in the conflict, arguing that outside intervention would further worsen and complicate the situation. Asia, South The threat the United States faces from China is "troubling," The Hudson Institute's Michael Pillsbury told "America’s Newsroom," warning about Russia and Iran acting in concert with Beijing. Those firms were banned from trading with the United States for two years. [36], In May 2018, China planned to build a new freight train line with Iran. [21] Iran relies upon its oil sales to China to ensure its fiscal well-being. "[10][11], Of the Chinese Lin family in Quanzhou, Lin Nu, the son of Lin Lu, visited Hormuz in Persia in 1376, married a Persian or an Arab girl, and brought her back to Quanzhou. Prior to 1971, an unofficial relationship existed out of necessity. TEHRAN – Establishing strategic relations with China has been of special importance for Iran, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh has said as Tehran and Beijing concluded a 25-cooperation plan on March 27. (Shiji, 123, trans. He has written about modern Sino-Iranian relations for Jadaliyya, Entekhab, and Mondoweiss. Whether the agreement would be “mutually beneficial” depends on what perspective one takes. For more on Iranian-Chinese relations in history see, This page was last edited on 9 May 2021, at 17:10. [25][54], In 2018 the US ordered Canada to arrest and detain Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Huawei, for 'illegally dealing with' and allegedly violating sanctions against Iran. First off, nowhere in the text of this or any other official document or pronouncement is any numerical figure mentioned. After the Islamic conquest of Persia, Persia continued to flourish during the Islamic Golden Age, and its relations with China continued. [6], Mainly through Silk Road trade, Chinese borrowed Middle Persian words for exotic commodities. His most famous descendant was Zheng He,[citation needed] who became the Ming dynasty's most famous explorer. [23] China also sells gasoline to Iran despite international pressures that have halted Iran's ability to get gasoline from other suppliers. Elamite or BMAC:[70][71][72], Huihuihua is a dialect of Chinese with more Persian and Arabic words.[6]. [58] The Shah visited Taiwan to meet the President of China Chiang Kai-shek in 1958. China will have no need for prior permission from the Iranian government to maintain and increase its military presence in Iran, and will control the movement of Iranians in and out of these territories. Trade reached $1.627 billion in the 1980s and $15 billion in 2007. Labeling the West Papua National Army-Free Papua Organization a terrorist outfit complicates future conflict resolution efforts. While China remains Iran’s top oil importer, Chinese firms have not increased investment, imports, or exports at the exponential levels pledged in 2016, and are not likely to do so in 2021 either. The Chinese-Persian-Tamil stele is associated with the voyages of Zheng He. [citation needed]. China–Iran relations (Chinese: 中国–伊朗关系, Persian: روابط ایران و چین) refer to the economic, political, and social relations between China and Iran from the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the present. John Keefer Douglas, Matthew B. Nelson, and Kevin Schwartz; "Fueling the Dragon's Flame: How China's Energy Demands Affect its Relationships in the Middle East." Arms exports began to steadily decline in the 1990s yet China engaged in $400 million worth of arms transfer agreements with Iran. In 1991, nuclear exports to Iran were discovered by the International Atomic Energy Association, which contained three types of uranium. Why the 25-Year China-Iran Strategic Cooperation Agreement isn’t a “big deal,” literally or figuratively. The fact is, we have no reason to believe that the deal is a massive shift in China’s international policy, and every reason to believe it will be balanced against China’s relations with the U.S. and other states in the region, including Iranian rival Saudi Arabia. The Iran-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was announced in a joint statement during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Tehran in 2016. [25] Iran is full of Chinese products and cars. [25], Some analysts argue that Iran can use its links with China to build more links across Asia while remaining insulated from potential U.S. They are also already in place with most neighboring Gulf states. During the Liang dynasty in China, in 547 a Persian embassy paid tribute to the Liang, amber was recorded as originating from Persia by the Liang Shu (Book of Liang).[3]. [23] Not only is China helping to develop the oil and gas sector, but China supports Iran's ambitions to bring Caspian Sea oil and gas to Southern Iranian ports through pipelines so the resources can be exported to Europe and Asia. for Us. In 2016, a first direct container train between Yiwu (Zhejiang Province) and Teheran made its way across Asia in 14 days. An interview with Gary Bauer, commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Now, China opposes Iran's possible production and possession of nuclear weapons but does not see the urgency to stop it. [17], In fact after the JCPOA was signed in July 2015, China and Iran agreed to expand trade relations to $600 billion in ten years from January 2016, on the occasion when Chinese leader Xi Jinping paid Hassan Rouhani a state visit. On March 26, Iran and China signed an agreement expressing a desire to increase cooperation and trade relations over the next 25 years. Iran's imports from China rose by 360% between 2000 and 2005. From this scrutiny, it became known that China was using North Korea to traffic arms during the Iran-Iraq war to avoid antagonizing the West but later cut out the middle man. [5] One of the most famous settlers from Persia was Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar, who is identified as an ancestor of many Chinese Hui lineages and that of Yunnan's Panthay Hui population. An Shih Kao, a Parthian nobleman and Buddhist missionary, went to the Chinese capital Luoyang in 148 CE where he established temples and became the first man to translate Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. In 2001, the volume of trade between Iran and China stood at roughly $3.3 billion,[32] and in 2005, the volume of Sino-Iranian trade hit $9.2 billion. [38], Line 5 of the Tehran metro began operating in 1999 and was Iran's first metro system. [48] And then in 1986, Iran obtained Chinese-made anti-ship surface-to-surface missiles that posed a threat to Persian Gulf shipping. Tehran has good reason to doubt that China is a reliable partner. [6], China exported astronomical tools and discoveries, printing, paper money, sancai, porcelain to Persia. China represents a change of course – whether as a new potential partner or a “China Card” for leverage in Iran-U.S. negotiations. [62], In July 2019, UN ambassadors from 50 countries, including Iran, have signed a joint letter to the UNHRC defending China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang region. The Parthians and Sassanid empires (occupying much of present Iran and Central Asia) had various contacts with the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties. Opponents paint a much bleaker picture. The two civilizations have had a history of cultural, political, and economic exchanges along the Silk Road since at least 200 BC, and possibly earlier. Some of them, known as semu ("assorted officials") occupied important official posts in the Yuan state administration. It wasn't until 1969 that Iran displayed open support for China's membership. The Shah was friendly towards the United States and Mao was a communist. Zhang Qian clearly identifies Parthia as an advanced urban civilization, whose development he equates to those of Dayuan (in Ferghana) and Daxia (in Bactria). The Shah also feared that the relationship could rally his communist opposition. Alidad Mafinezam and Aria Mehrabi (2008). The announcement of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), a 25 year-long economic and development agreement between China and Iran, has immediately added to the intensifying discourse concerning US-China Geostrategic Competition. Caution must be taken not to minimize the deal entirely. Persian Settlements in Southeastern China during the T'ang, Sung, and Yuan Dynasties", "Iran approves visa-free travel for Chinese tourists", "The 53 countries supporting China's crackdown on Hong Kong", "Iran and China sign 25-year cooperation agreement", "China, Iran Agree to Expand Trade to $600 Billion in a Decade", "Iran plans to boost trade with China by about 1,000% over the next 10 years", "Alstom and Siemens Show How Not to Deal With China", "In a Treasonous Act, Iranian Regime Sells Out Parts of the Country to China! It will see increased investment and linkages between the countries. [21] In 2011, approximately 10% of China's oil imports were from Iran. They cooperated in guarding the trade routes through central Asia, and both built outposts in border areas to keep caravans safe from nomadic tribes and bandits. Once the Shah was overthrown during the Islamic Revolution, China quickly recognized the new government on 14 February 1979. In 751, the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled Persia, was in dispute with the Tang dynasty of China over the control of the Syr Darya region during the Battle of Talas. Diplomatic links between China and Iran have been maintained into the 20th and 21st centuries with the formation of both the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran, in 1949 and 1979 respectively. It is rumored that China is responsible for aiding in the development of advanced conventional weapons including surface-to-air missiles, combat aircraft, radar systems, and fast-attack missile vessels. A 1990 covert nuclear agreement was also discovered. The official Fars News agency described the agreement as “somewhat ambiguous, and on the other hand, in some cases, Iran has had bitter experiences in dealing with other countries. However, alarmists who push for a more aggressive stance toward both China and Iran based on this deal are massively exaggerating its terms. (Shiji, trans. In his wake, he left many relics, including the Chinese-Persian-Tamil Galle Trilingual Inscription, praising the Buddha, Allah, and Vishnu respectively in the three languages. Li Shunxian is a Persian-Chinese woman who wrote celebrated Chinese poetry during the Tang dynasty. Questions of “selling Iran” aside, closer relations with China remain unpopular with many segments of the Iranian population, who often object to the flood of cheap, low-quality Chinese goods, which wreak havoc on the local economy and cause a “race to the bottom.” Some do not consider China a stable partner, pointing to the fact that it has pulled out of many deals with Iran in the past. Sharif Shuja (2005). Proponents of the deal hail the onset of mutually beneficial relations between two influential Asian countries with a shared desire to reduce and resist U.S. influence in the region.

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