China and Iran are working together closer in the future. A "25-year strategic agreement" was in negotiations with a shared outdoor mini tar Javad Zarif at the beginning of July to the Parliament. The contract is apparently ready for signature, the Persian-language version of the "New York Times" and the newspaper reported in detail. The contract provides, in addition to the billions in economic also a close military cooperation.

China sees Iran as a major market for its Goods and is also a supplier of crude oil. Iran, in turn, the Chinese investment and its exports, hopes the Chinese investment to reduce the U.S. sanctions provoked economic pressure.

United States in the view

The rapprochement of Tehran to Beijing to be a reaction to the by the Trump-government announced a nuclear agreement, the Berlin-based "Stiftung Wissenschaft und politik" (SWP) research-based political analyst Hamidreza Azizi compared to the DW. In addition, the Europeans had not kept their with Iran, the measures taken, the economic agreements. Only China and Russia have continued their economic relations with Iran. That is why the government see the Development of relations with the two countries as the only way to preserve the economy of the country before the collapse.

at the same time, Iranian politicians have increasingly the impression that the influence and international Prestige of the United States go back under Trump. "Therefore, they are of the view that the best way to safeguard the interests of Iran in the long term, is the framework for a long-term partnership with 'non-Western' powers to define," says Azizi.

China in the case of Iranians disliked

However, Iran is out to negotiate from a Position of weakness, says Ali Fathollah-Nejad, researcher in the middle East and Comparative politics at the University of Tübingen. Because economically, the government was under immense pressure. At the same time, the cooperation trust projects in Iran, a broad refusal. Because it is contrary to the self-understanding of the country since the Revolution of 1979. These have been created to preserve the independence of the country compared to the Eastern as well as Western powers.

a quite negative Image of China in Iran Added. Since then, the Europeans had withdrawn under the pressure of the United States from Iran, whether China is there, omnipresent. "The rejection is directed against cheap Chinese products, which could damage the development of the local industry, as well as against China's role after the spread of the Coronavirus in Iran," said Fathollah-Nejad. In fact, it was the Iranian company, Mahan Air, which was carried out according to research by the BBC between China and Iran in spite of an official ban of flights to China, more than 100 flights to China and back in February and March.

partners in internal Repression

Both Iran and China under authoritarian systems. Human rights organizations accuse the governments of both countries, serious human rights violations. Amnesty International (AI) approximately describes the handling of the two Regime dissidents in almost identical words. So Amnesty International criticized the work of the judicial systems of both countries, in many cases, unfair and arbitrary.

Could strengthen cooperation with China, the repressive policy of the Iranian hardliners? "In terms of Repression - offline or online - is China a major supplier and also an Inspiration for the Iranian autocrats," says Ali Fathollah-Nejad, who also works as a Nonresident Fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. The biggest advocates of 'Eastern' geopolitical orientation of Tehran were not the most random part of the authoritarian and state-capitalist part of the power apparatus. "You see in China is a kind of great Savior, the guarantees the Regime for years, if not decades, an economic lifeline while it is politically and diplomatically on the side of Iran against 'Western imperialism'," says Ali Fathollah-Nejad.

Hamidreza Azizi supplemented with a view on the internal development of Iran: "in view of the prevailing Western-oriented political culture in the Iranian society, long-term partnerships deepen with non-democratic powers, the Gulf between the Iranian state and society."

the regional political consequences of marginal

In Syria, the Iran, in particular, with Russia closely, the actions of both countries is covered in the UN security Council of China. This could mean that an Iranian-Chinese rapprochement has in the entire Region in terms of foreign policy - by about authoritarian regimes in other countries, see confirmed?

He did not expect the says Hamidreza Azizi, because this Regime does not need such confirmation. For the world powers of the importance of the Middle East based since time immemorial on its geopolitical location and its natural resources. "Although the great powers are demanding democracy and human rights in the Region. However, you are not interested never seriously how the political leaders of the Region to govern their countries - at least as long as they were able to continue to maintain favorable relationships with them."

Azizi refers to the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf: they had always been of the authoritarian monarchies ruled. To you, the foreign Partner had never played a serious role in the establishment of democracy and human rights in the Region. "These governments can't be authoritarian - regardless of the political orientation of their foreign partners."

author: Kersten Knipp

*The post "China as a lifeline for the Iranian Regime" is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.

Deutsche Welle

Date Of Update: 31 July 2020, 13:26