February 18, 2022
A former Iranian deputy foreign minister has dismissed the notion that China will make sacrifices for the Islamic Republic due to its good relations with Tehran.
Ebrahim Rahimpour, who was the deputy foreign minister for Asian and Pacific affairs during the first term of President Rohani, told the daily Etemad that China, and Russia as well, won’t be doing any favors for Iran.
Rahimpour said if Moscow or Beijing deem it in their interest and think that Iran’s actions are going their way, they will use their levers, including their UN veto power, to benefit Iran but only when it is to their benefit.
Rahimpour said China intends to play a more robust role in the region and “my prediction is China’s role will gradually grow bigger.” But, he added, “I’m confident that the Chinese are not after making any military commitments in our region.” In other words, they will not be countering US military activity in the region.
He said Beijing does not need to create any military and security obligations for itself in West Asia because it will achieve its goals and interests in the region using its economic and financial clout.
Rahimpour said it’s preposterous to think Iran can build up trade relations with China while the Islamic Republic is under sanctions.
He also advised officials not to think China is signing a 25-year cooperation agreement only with Iran, adding Beijing will not hesitate to enter into similar agreements with other countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan. (Saudi Arabia is China’s main trading partner in the Middle East and China is the biggest buyer of Saudi crude.)
Rahimpour also said the regime made “too much noise” over the 25-year deal with China, signed last March, and “we are not seeing any actions that would match that noise.”
In mid-January, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited China and announced that the 25-year agreement had just gone into effect, although no one last March said the agreement had not gone into effect when it was signed then.
Meanwhile, a public opinion survey taken last October of 20,000 Iranians by Gamaan, a survey firm based in the Netherlands, found that 65 percent of Iranians held a negative view of China, 65 percent held a negative view of Russia and 40 percent held a negative view of the United States.