Sino-Iranian relations enter the phase of mutual political trust

SHANGHAI Sino-Iranian relations have developed steadily over the past decades. And the year 2024 was particularly marked by more frequent and deeper interactions between the two countries, suggesting that China-Iran relations are progressing toward a new high level of mutual political trust.

China-Iran relations are strong and the three mutuals deserve special mention. The first should be mutual appreciation of the other side's civilization. China represents the civilization of East Asia while Iran represents the achievements of human civilization of West Asia. The two men have been learning from each other for over two thousand years. Karez's shared heritage is just one example of the two learning from each other. And the two interacted peacefully along the ancient Silk Road.

The second step should be the mutual recognition of the importance of the other party as a strategic actor. China is well aware that Iran is a great regional power with diligent and intelligent people, abundant resources and geopolitical location, while Iran is well aware that China is one of the major players located in Asia from the East but with a global influence. The two are interdependent partners on strategic issues.

The third should be mutual economic complementarity. While Iran is rich in natural resources, including oil and gas and a number of very important rare minerals, China has an advantage in financial investment and advanced technologies, and needs energy as a major consumer. Complementarity served to link the two economically.

The three mutuals have served to maintain stable relations between the two for decades. But it is worth particularly mentioning that recent years, the year 2024 in particular, have seen relations between the two countries enter a new stage of mutual political trust, a result of both the natural development of bilateral relations and the the evolution of the global situation. policy.

Mutual political trust is first manifested in the frequency of high-level exchanges. President Xi Jinping met with Acting Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber and President Pezeshkian respectively on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in early July 2024 and the BRICS+ Summit in late October 2024. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing visited in Iran with a high-level delegation in early December. And Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, visited China in late December, concluding a year of very intensive interactions between China and Iran. Furthermore, higher-level exchanges took place on the sidelines of various multilateral institutions.

It is rare that the two sides have held so many high-level in-person talks in a single year. This should be partly attributed to Iran's entry into the SCO and BRICS, while Iran's full membership in both organizations itself demonstrates the high level of mutual political trust. These two organizations are those in which China plays a leading role, even if they are not exclusive in their origins.

Mutual political trust is then manifested in the desire of both parties to strengthen their friendly relations. At the Kazan meeting, President Xi Jinping said that no matter how the international and regional situation develops, China will unswervingly develop friendly cooperation with Iran; President Pezeshkian said Iran will continue to support China on issues concerning China's core interests and oppose hegemony and intimidation. Furthermore, President Pezeshkian mentioned his appreciation for China's assistance in difficult times in his Message to the New World shortly after his inauguration, which was well received in China.

Third, political mutual trust is manifested in the depth of cooperation and coordination between the two sides. China and Iran cooperated to reach the joint declaration leading to reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia on March 10, 2023, which was solidified in the two consecutive meetings in December 2023 and November 2024 at the level of Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Reconciliation marks a major shift in regional geopolitics, once dominated by the West.

The two sides also coordinated on various crucial regional and international issues, for example the Palestinian issue. During a meeting in Beijing upon his arrival, Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, said that for years we have constantly maintained close consultations with China on all regional and international issues.

Mutual political trust is manifested fourthly in mutual support for the main foreign policy doctrines and programs of the other side. While Chinese leaders always mention their support for Iran in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and dignity, the Iranian side firmly supports China on issues concerning its core interests.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi particularly mentioned that President Xi Jinping's diplomatic thought of building a community with a shared future for mankind ushered in a new macro-historical trend in his article published on December 27, 2024 in Peoples Daily, the Chinese newspaper the most influential. before his visit to China. In the same article, he also cited the three initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, namely the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). .

All these latest initiatives indicate that China and Iran are more than willing to cooperate with increasing trust, and that China-Iran relations are entering a new stage characterized by mutual political trust, in addition to the previous three.

However, the term political mutual trust has very profound political implications, which deserve more thoughtful interpretations by think tanks and policy makers. Judging from the turbulent changes the world will experience in the coming decades, the two sides will need to work together to weather the storms and build mutual political trust at an even higher level.

*Dr. Jin Liangxiang is a senior researcher at the Shanghai Institutes of International Studies