As the U.S. rained bombs and missiles on Iran’s nuclear sites on Saturday — entering the war between Israel and Iran — Beijing appears to be standing firm in its support of its long-standing ally in Tehran.
However, its support will be tempered by its limited heft as a peace broker in the region, and potential upside if oil chokepoints squeeze the U.S. more than they hurt Beijing.
Beijing has drawn closer to Iran in recent years, with the two countries cooperating regularly on military exercises and signing a 25-year strategic partnership in economic, military and security cooperation in 2021.
Iran’s population of nearly 91 million, far more than Israel’s 9.8 million people, coupled with its abundant crude oil reserves, made it a natural partner in China’s Belt and Road initiative, which the Global Times, a Beijing government mouthpiece, described as a way to “counter U.S. hegemony.”
China’s primary economic interest lies in its access to Iranian oil and the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most important trade routes for global crude oil flows.
