Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Global South strategic cooperation

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China-Iran high-level meeting highlights comprehensive cooperation, ‘dispels rumor of rift in bilateral ties’

By Published: Dec 14, 2022 09:29 PM Updated: Dec 15, 2022 12:00 AM



China Iran photo:VCG

China views its ties with Iran from a strategic perspective and will not waver in its determination to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership, said Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua when meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Iran's capital Tehran on Tuesday.

Given that the meeting highlighted the consensus on deepening bilateral relations and comprehensive cooperation, Chinese observers said it could effectively help dispel some noises that are trying to drive a wedge between the two countries.

During the meeting, Hu said that China views its ties with Iran from a strategic perspective and will not waver in its determination to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership, noting that China firmly supports Iran in opposing external interference and safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

China, he said, stands ready to work with Iran to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, make joint efforts to advance the implementation of the China-Iran comprehensive cooperation plan, and push for new progress in bilateral practical cooperation.

Hu conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and best wishes to Raisi, and briefed the Iranian president on the major achievements and far-reaching significance of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October.

Xi and Raisi had a phone conversation in July and held a meeting in September, in which they reached important consensus on deepening China-Iran relations.

For his part, Raisi said Iran and China enjoy a traditional friendship and bilateral ties are of important strategic significance. No matter how the international and regional landscapes change, Iran will remain firmly committed to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, the Iranian president noted.

Raisi also said Iran, which has always been a trustworthy partner of China, stands ready to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, actively implement the bilateral comprehensive cooperation plan, continuously boost all-round cooperation, and deliver more cooperation outcomes.

On the same day, Hu also held talks with Iranian first vice president Mohammad Mokhber, where they exchanged in-depth views on implementing the comprehensive cooperation plan between China and Iran and promoting bilateral practical cooperation.

In March 2021, China and Iran signed a major 25-year agreement to enhance comprehensive cooperation in a range of fields including trade. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that under the deal, the two sides would tap the potentials in economic and cultural cooperation and make plans for long-term cooperation, according to Xinhua.

Hu’s visit will undoubtedly further push forward bilateral ties and boost comprehensive cooperation, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The observer said that since the signing of the 25-year deal, China-Iran ties have entered a new stage of development, and the two countries have been making steady progress in economic and trade cooperation.

Also, in September, of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and expressed its willingness to strengthen coordination and cooperation within the SCO framework, Xinhua reported.

The meeting between Hu and Raisi came after Xi concluded his trip on Saturday after attending the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit (GCC) and paying a state visit to Saudi Arabia.

China’s series of high-level meetings in the Middle East region all have yielded fruitful outcomes and enhanced China’s relations with the region, Qian said.

The observer said that for a long time, relations between some GCC countries and Iran have fluctuated due to religious and ethnic issues and geographical and security disputes.

Therefore, some Western media, using the tensions between GCC countries and Iran, has been trying to drive a wedge between China and Iran.
Hu’s visit could help dispel the noise, Qian said, noting that China is a positive force for peace and stability for the Middle East, and has won widespread praise in the region for upholding justice rather than playing a game of balance of power.

The series of high-level visits to the region reflect that China has strong will to develop a good relationship with Middle Eastern powers including Iran and Saudi Arabia. While recognizing that the situation in the region is complicated, China is trying to play a role of being an active contributor to regional peace, Qian said.

Can anyone highlight India's role in SCO? I know that India is beneficial for the BRICS due to their population numbers could help change world currency down the line.. But is there inclusion in SCO beneficial or necessary?


I would like to hear some takes on this

infinity_wor;d said:

Oh my. It is Saudi Arabia that invade Yemen for years.

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At the time, Saudi Arabia was planning an escalation of the war. I am not saying that bombing Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure is a good thing, I am saying that they are doing a reasonable move, to show Saudi Arabia that if they want an escalation, Yemeni Houthis can destroy their important infrastructure. As a result, finally, Saudi Arabia is urging peace talks.

2022/3/25: Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure attacked

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2022/4/07: peace talk

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See, just in no more than 15 days.
Again, people in this forum seem like many others, regard Iran and its ally as a bunch of suicide boomer madmen. They are not. They are also human. They want to enjoy their life (different than others by their religious belief, but certainly do not include becoming suicide boomers) like everyone else.

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As others have said, there are probably reasons for this proxy war from both side. Regardless, Saudis and GCC countries are not in a peaceful situation with Iran. Iran's rationale doesn't really matter here. We have to look at it logically. The logical conclusion is that China sees its ties with Iran not being all the fruitful whereas the ties with GCC countries being very fruitful. I've also said many times that Iran's own economic projects are an impediment to CPEC projects. They are too independent to be useful to BRI. Iranian left wing is also very sympathetic to the West and deeply distrustful of China. Why would China want to prioritize relationship with such an unreliable partner?
So China can keep being friendly with Iran, but it will prioritize Pakistan and GCC countries.

Arnies said:

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yeah, that's the other emerging tie. Algeria and China are very tight now with all that military and tech exports. The next one to watch is Egypt.

Paying lip service to Sunni Arab countries will bring China so much benefits around the world in terms of market potential and geopolitical influence.

sunnymaxi said:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1603020156414066688

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there you go. China sends a lame duck VP to Iran and Iran still has to take Chinese investment. Iran is really isolated after the JCPOA collapse and can't afford to be picky with friends and investors. Maybe once the liberal wing of Iran realizes this, they will swallow their pride and work more closely with Sunni countries.

Now that GCC countries are going to start using SHPGX for sales to China, Iran will need to do so too.

Arnies said:

Can anyone highlight India's role in SCO? I know that India is beneficial for the BRICS due to their population numbers could help change world currency down the line.. But is there inclusion in SCO beneficial or necessary?

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I would like to hear some takes on this

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India is Putin's "gift" to China if you get my meaning. He deserves everything that has happened and will happen to him for making India part of SCO

Arnies said:

The Saudis invaded Yemen but it was due to provocations and civilian uprisings against the current Yemen gov't and the anti-regime elements didn't realize the costs it would cost them later and had they known they wouldn't have done it.

The Saudis were forced to react which they did forcefully without putting troops on the ground by aiding the local government armed forces with weapons and using airforce.. The anti-regime elements were forced to sollow a reality they couldn't believe they will find themselves in a post apocalyptic world they really paid the price signficiantly.

The Saudis were accused of atrocities in the later stages because they became less patient with the uprising and forced to become like that and just applied scorched earth which devastated the areas under anti-regime elements to unrecognizable pile. the saudis replied with bringing down whole cities alltogether on top of a blockade by land and sea.

The message was clear to them that the regime, Islah, Southern separatists and Tribal elements allied to the Hadi Gov't weren't going anywhere.

Such heavy handness provides security for the future so that uprising become something almost unheard off like myth because people will know that the cost is just to much to give and Yemen is a living example of that.

The Anti-regime elements were very stubborn to begin with refusing all peace approaches but until they realized holy shxt nobody will remain of us here if we continue this which was the ground reality. These people should remain on their lands peacefully and they accepted the ceasefire which have settled things down and shall remain to be so. Take peace not death.. It is also a great message one can learn from to not rebel against own governments and instiutions

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You need to take a look of the modern history of Yemen during and after the cold war. It's not just refusing peace approaches. What are the conditions of any kind of peace? CCP tried many times to seek peace with KMT but their rude conditions led them to continue the struggle until they beat their @sses, threw them out of the country and formed their own government and institutions. That's how human societies evolve

FairAndUnbiased said:

The solution for Iran is to prove itself a good ally to China rather than complain. Dragging feet on deals has consequences.

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LMAO I kind of feel for Hu. He gets passed over during the Party Congress and now he has to deal with the Iranians' whining.

Arnies said:

The Iranians are unhappy because they feel somehow overshadowed not because of westernisation. Iran's case doesn't have anything to do with ideology but rather an ancient racial goal of the persians who perviously had lost out to the Arabs mainly the arabs from GCC in the 6th century for persians it is to recover that golden age and the Arabs want their golden age to be re-newed.

The Saudis will attain Nuclear weapons without a doubt and their FM just highlighted this 3 days ago to everyone making it public that all bets are off the table. they will go Nuclear within mere days after Iran gains a break-out. Egypt and Turkey will do something similar.

But eventually Iran has to see here the bigger picture and align herself with them or stand to lose out. Example Iran going with Russia didn't actully help Russia but technically helped NATO who will have support from the other rivals of Iran by default.

This will also create a suspicion of Russia and why they are allying themselves with a rouge element in the region. Now Morocco and other countries in the region are slowly beginning to support Ukraine with military aid hence the repercussions is emerging.

The Issues with Iran is that it has behaved like a rouge element funding unsanctioned groups which technically doesn't even benefit them because majority of the time it leads to these non-state actors coming under suffering themselves you just can't go against state actors with endless resources you gain nothing but in recent trend Iran is stepping away from all this and relations are slowly improving.

They were even outsmarted by Israel that has aligned themselves with regional players against Iran instead of Iran doing the opposite how can you even bottle that much.. Leading to the Abraham Accord which is a tribal accord Adnani arabs and Israelites are blood brothers meaning descendants from Abraham meaning (Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman) These 8 countries are the only living progeny of Abraham despite being of different faiths and ideology what unites them is their kinship under the house of Abraham

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Iran had good relations with Gulf countries in the time of the Shah, so the problems aren't rooted in the historical Arab-Iranian rivalry.

To really understand the conflict you need to go back to its roots. In the 70s the world was divided into two camps, USSR and America. Some countries were capitalist and sided with the USSR (like India, Egypt, and many African countries). Communist China was an American ally.

The Iranian Islamic revolution in 1979 was the first global alternative to this duality. Once in power the Ayatollah was hostile to both America and the USSR, they also wanted to export their revolution to other Islamic countries. Saddam who had previously been an ally to the Ayatollah invaded them because Iranians were trying to incite a similar revolution in Iraq. He was supported by all Gulf countries because they feared the same thing happening in their countries. This in itself was ironic as the Gulf states had all feared Saddam for trying to do the same with his own brand of Arab socialism.

Yes Iran today uses Shi'ite proxies to further their goals, but that's missing the point. Even if Iran was a Sunni country we would be in the same situation, a theocratic system trying to export their ideology to coreligionist nations.

Rather than playing the western game of divide and rule, the goal should be to get Arabs and Iranians to put their differences aside and focus on the real enemy, the west in general and Israel specifically.

Regardless of what is being said on internet forums, that is what we are seeing taking shape today. I think in the next year there will be an official visit between the Iranians and Saudis, something unthinkable a year ago.

Abominable said:

Rather than playing the western game of divide and rule, the goal should be to get Arabs and Iranians to put their differences aside and focus on the real enemy, the west in general and Israel specifically.

Regardless of what is being said on internet forums, that is what we are seeing taking shape today. I think in the next year there will be an official visit between the Iranians and Saudis, something unthinkable a year ago.

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It's not even about focusing on an enemy.

It's understanding that constant conflicts and war are bad for business and the prosperity of the people in the country.