China-Iran Relations Through the Prism of Sanctions

The article aims to understand how China has dealt with the puzzle of Iran's sanctions. Beijing's approach and reaction to the question of sanctioning Tehran and abiding by the sanctions imposed by the United States and the UNSC are a response to a complex matrix formed by three distinct but co-existing dimensions: the bilateral relationship with Iran, that with Washington, and its own positioning within the international community. Each dimension is associated with the performance of a specific international role. What emerges from the analysis of three case studies – the introduction of the 1996 Iran and Libya Sanction Act, the UNSC resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran (2006-10), and the response to Washington's Maximum Pressure campaign – is that, for China, Iran's sanctions are an inherent source of conflicts between its roles. Ultimately, Beijing's responses to the emerging conflicts between its roles have been cautious and aimed at tempering their possible escalations, even though the case studies show that a quite visible hierarchy of roles exists. China's role vis-à-vis Iran occupies a lower position than those performed vis-à-vis the United States and the international community

The impact of COVID-19 on China–Persian Gulf relations: a game-changer or a spotlight?

In the last decade, the relationships between China and the Persian Gulf countries have evolved from ones based on an almost entirely economic rationale to a more complex, multi-layered set of relations, often pervaded by strategic elements. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Persian Gulf – and the entire world – as an unforecastable storm, causing an unprecedented social, economic, political and health crisis. Yet the pandemic did not result in the rejection or even major scrutiny of China’s role and presence in the Persian Gulf. In fact, rather than undermining the foundations of the supply and demand logic that constitute the backbone of these relationships, the pandemic has made more apparent its fundamental trends, the blind spots, and, especially in the case of Iran, the dangerous overdependence

Role Theory and China’s Relations with Iran: All-weather Friends on Beijing’s Terms

The present thesis investigates the role that China has developed, taken, and enacted in its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this work, the term “role” has a precise connotation that refers to the conceptualisation of international roles as defined and investigated by the so-called Role Theory of International Relations. In that context, this study has the modest theoretical objective of developing a two- dimensional interactionist model that identifies two fundamental dimensions – one structural and one ideational – constitutive of international roles. These two dimensions, by interacting together, also assure the performance and resilience of roles. In the case of China’s role in the partnership with Iran, the structural dimension is defined by the middle power-great power framework, which describes a (highly) asymmetrical relationship within which material and strategic interests are conceived and pursued. Vice versa, the ideational dimension is constituted by those identity concepts, historical references, and mutually understandable ideas that Chinese policymakers employ when interacting with their Iranian counterparts, which form altogether what can be described as a non-Western friendship. The interaction of these two dimensions defines the role that China has taken and enacted in its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The thesis presents it as that of the friendly stakeholder. As with every international role, the friendly stakeholder role has its dynamicity. In fact, it is subject to intra-role conflicts caused by Iran’s contestation or China’s underperformance. At the same time, the competition and confrontation with China’s other international roles cause role conflicts. Therefore, to understand how China has taken and enacted this role and managed the related conflicts, this study adopts a historical perspective on China- Iran relations, considering a timeframe from 1979 to 2015. Within these temporal boundaries, the thesis explores China’s role-taking and role performance in the relationship with Iran through four historical episodes: the 1979 Revolution in Iran, the Iraq-Iran War, China’s partial disengagement from cooperating with Iran in 1997, and the negotiations that led to the approval of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran Deal, in 2015. Each historical episode is located within the broader history of China’s foreign relations, emphasising the relationship with the United States as the most significant external intervening variable in China’s relationship with Iran. Ultimately, the objective of the thesis is threefold. Firstly, presenting the abovementioned theoretical model for the definition of international roles. Secondly, providing an original framework for understanding the bilateral dimension of Sino-Iranian relations. Lastly, helping to critically locate Iran within China’s Persian Gulf strategy, its relationship with the United States, and its rise as great power

Book Launch China's Economic and Political Presence in the Middle East and South Asia

This book explores a range of key issues connected to China’s relations with countries in the Middle East and South Asia. It discusses economic and political connections, and projects which have arisen as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It covers both important countries in the Middle East, and also Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It examines current contentious issues including Iranian sanctions and the war in Syria, and assesses the roles of other powers such as Russia, Turkey and Israel insofar as they affect China’s relationships. Overall, the book presents many new perspectives on the subject, with many of the perspectives representing the view from the countries of the Middle East and South Asia