Is Iran About To Permit China To Have A Military Base On Their Territory?

Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, left, and Miao Lu, secretary-general of Center for China & Globalization, at Doha Forum in Qatar last December (AFP)

Michael Rubin, National Interest: China's Next Military Move: A Base in the Persian Gulf?

For the past half-century, the United States has essentially dominated international waters in the Persian Gulf uncontested by any Great Power. As in the South China Sea and in the Bab el-Mandeb, however, Xi may have ambitions to challenge the United States and assert its military influence over yet another strategic chokepoint.

For a generation, China has expanded its economic outreach to the Middle East but has largely remained diplomatically neutral and militarily absent. Beijing, for example, maintains cordial diplomatic relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. It often abstained on contentious UN Security Council resolution. And while Chinese Navy ships do make occasional port calls in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, but China’s non-combatant evacuation operation from Libya at the beginning of that country’s civil war was far less coordinated and effective than Chinese authorities claimed.

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WNU Editor: Iran is hoping that this deal with China will break US sanctions. I am not sure if it is going to work.

More News On China - Iran Relations

China Inks Military Deal With Iran Under Secretive 25-Year Plan -- OilPrice.com
Iran is negotiating 25-year strategic accord with China, Zarif says -- Middle East Eye
Iran negotiating 25-year accord with China -- Asia Times
Iran negotiating 25-year ‘strategic accord’ with China -- Times of Israel
25-Year Strategic Accord Under Negotiation With China "Not Secret", Says Iran -- NDTV

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