CHINA - Beijing offers Tehran a lifeline amid Western sanctions in exchange for oil and the potential of a ‘sleeping giant’ friend. President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran has concluded an official state visit to China, where he met with his counterpart in Beijing, Xi Jinping. Ahead of the trip, Raisi published an article in China’s most elite party newspaper, the People’s Daily, speaking out against “unilateralism”, “violent measures” and sanctions, which both countries believe to be the main causes of instability in the world today.
Why is China interested in Iran? Iran is a country with enormous untapped potential. In many aspects, it is a sleeping giant. Boasting a population of over 86 million, it is one of the most populous countries in the Middle East and, like China, is a so-called “civilization state,” that is a nation directly evolving from an ancient empire, Persia.
Ultimately, Iran is critical to China’s national security in multiple areas: geopolitics, energy and geography. Both sides have come to recognize the other as one of their most important geopolitical partnerships. In an era of growing US hostility, aggression and coercion, China and Iran are coming together as two states that understand the importance of multipolarity and finding common ground to develop amid Western sanctions. China offers growth for Iran, while Iran also offers security, energy and the potential of a sleeping giant in the Middle East. Both countries want to build a very different world, one which the US is doing everything it can to prevent.