خلاصة:
Using a qualitative content analysis, this article attempts to
briefly review some important work that has been conducted about Iran-China ties, and, thereby, would shed light on key issues on the relations between the two countries that have been much discussed in the available literature. This paper, aiming to show the existing gap in the field of Iranian foreign policy studies, rests on the assumption that Iran’s China policy is among the issues that have unfairly been overlooked since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. As this review will conclude, there is just a small amount of work concerning Iran’s attitude and behavior towards China. In other words, only some researchers have shown interest in analyzing the factors that have influenced Iranian decision makers’ calculations about relations with the PRC. On the other hand, most of them have devoted attention to the Sino-Iranian relations within the context of the Chinese foreign policy. In addition, they generally provide interpretations through Western eyes and, therefore, reflect the potential consequences of the ties between the two states for the West and particularly the United States.
ملخص الجهاز:
Keywords: Iran’s China Policy, Iranian Foreign Policy Studies, Iran-China Relations, China’s Foreign Policy, United States, Middle East *Ehsan Razani is a PhD Candidate of Strategy and Security Studies at the School of History, Politics and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and the Humanities, National University of Malaysia (UKM).
Seemingly, the Sino-Iranian relations emerged as an interesting subject of research for International Relations scholars in the early-1990s; the time the importance of the PRC in world politics and economy began to grow, China’s demands for energy skyrocketed, and Beijing seemed more determined to strengthen its ties with the resource-rich states of the Middle East.
Regarding China’s relations with Iran, Rubin believes that, based on its own interest and despite all criticism by the Western states, Beijing would continue its economic, trade, military, and nuclear cooperation with Tehran until it is able to pay.
According to him, Beijing has always tried to ‘to walk a fine line’ in its behavior toward Tehran; while seeking to make stronger political, economic, and military cooperation with Iran and supporting this country’s right to develop its own civilian nuclear energy, China has even sought to cooperate with the Western states in implementing cautiously limited pressure on the Islamic Republic to come to term with international community over its nuclear program.
’(30) However, according to the authors, although the major shift in Iranian foreign policy towards the East under Ahmadinejad’s government could help Iran-China ties expand, Tehran’s more belligerent foreign policy posture against the West may force Beijing’s decision-makers to distance themselves from the Islamic Republic.
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