Iran, Beijing's key to the Middle
East By Dario Cristiani
China's decision to send 1,000 soldiers to
southern Lebanon with the United Nations
peacekeeping mission is the latest example of
Beijing's increased involvement in the Middle
East.
The overall importance of the
broader Middle East for China's geostrategy is
growing. China is searching for new regional
allies because it wants to pursue strategic aims
such as gaining privileged access to crude-oil
reserves, finding new markets for its products and
technology, and competing with the United
States
for
supremacy in an area that is a fundamental part of
the international system.
Iran seems to be
the best ally for such an approach, thus the
strategic relationship between the two countries
has increased strongly during the past few years.
Why China is eyeing Iran The
Middle East is a region with significant
geostrategic importance for the entire global
political balance. China will play an increasing
role on the global scene, and therefore it needs
to reinforce its presence in regions that are
fundamental for the overall fate of the global
political balance.
On this chessboard,
China could have an important role in terms of
economic, strategic and ideological influence.
Beijing, therefore, is trying to strengthen its
ties with those regional powers that represent an
opportunity for entering into the regional
political balance. Iran is the main target of such
a strategy - it is a major supplier of oil and gas
and it could represent a fundamental source of
energy for the development and modernization of
China, which is increasingly reliant on oil
imports.
Moreover, China wants to
reinforce its relations with Iran and to deepen
its presence in Central Asia with the goal of
reaching the energy resources of the Caspian Sea
region; tapping Caspian energy would help China
lessen its dependence on maritime oil imports from
the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, thus
better securing an uninterrupted flow of oil.
China has also been exploiting
opportunities in countries where the presence of
major powers is weak. Clear examples of this are
the moves it has made in Sudan, Angola and Syria.
As part of this strategy, Tehran is an ideal
partner for Beijing, both for its natural
resources and for its geopolitical influence.
Iranian crude oil-and gas reserves are largely
untapped because the country has been ostracized
by the West, leaving a large part of its petroleum
fields unexplored, since Tehran does not have
adequate technology to increase its refined-oil
production. China proposes itself as the country
that can help Iran modernize its petroleum
industry and the wider Iranian economy with
industrial technology, capital, engineering
services and nuclear technology.
The
Sino-Iranian economic relationship extends beyond
the oil and gas spheres. Beijing is not only
interested in the exploitation of Iran's oil
reserves. For example, it wants to deepen the
presence of its firms in the Iranian market, which
could be a good outlet for Chinese exports. The
development of a strong economy is fundamental for
China's external projection of power. Economic
concerns, however, are only part of China's Iran
strategy.
Iran as a geopolitical
instrument Beijing perceives Tehran as a
geopolitical instrument to combat US influence in
the Middle East, even though this rivalry is not
emerging as an overt competition. Beijing's calls
to avoid United Nations sanctions against Tehran's
nuclear program and the selling of Chinese weapons
and military technology to Iran are two clear
examples of the deeper relationship between the
two countries.
Moreover, Iran joined the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an observer;
the organization is largely a Sino-Russian
instrument for containing the US presence in
Central Asia. Additionally, Central Asia
represents an important concern for Iran in its
security calculations, thus Tehran prefers the
stronger role of China and Russia in the region to
that of the United States.
Iran is
emerging as a new regional power and it is playing
a lead role in the Middle East's diplomatic
balance. The recent crisis in Lebanon demonstrated
that Iranian capabilities in influencing the
regional dynamics are stronger than before.
Moreover, in a period in which world energy
markets highlight the increasing dependence of
industrial powers on petroleum prices, Tehran has
an important instrument of geopolitical pressure
through its status as a major oil producer and its
control of the Strait of Hormuz.
In spite
of the harsh internal struggle for power and the
country's inner social and political
heterogeneity, which displays the fragmentation of
the Iranian leadership and the country as a whole,
"nuclear nationalism" is an element that rallies
the nation together, minimizing the political and
social cleavages and reinforcing the Iranian
projection of power overseas.
Conclusion China needs new
allies and privileged access to the oil reserves
in the Middle East. Iran appears to be the best
target for such an approach. The importance of
energy reserves for China rests on the country's
desire to develop its economy, which is the
foundation of its attempts to play a stronger role
in the international system. Also, Tehran's
position in the Middle East is stronger than
before, so it can help Beijing in the fight
against unrivaled US influence.
As for
Iran, it needs a powerful ally to help it develop
its economy, especially its oil industry.
Moreover, it wants to improve its diplomatic and
military status in the Middle East. Its nuclear
program is a clear example of this. Iran needs
civil and military technology, and Beijing could
be a good partner in these fields.
Finally, both countries are struggling
against the supremacy of the United States in the
world system, even though publicly Tehran is more
aggressive toward this end than Beijing. The
improving relationship between Iran and China does
not mean that their long-term interests are the
same, but it does mean that in the medium term the
two states have common aims in the economic and
geopolitical spheres.
Published with
permission of thePower and Interest News
Report, an analysis-based
publication that seeks to provide insight into
various conflicts, regions and points of interest
around the globe. All comments should be directed
tocontent@pinr.com
.
