China To Set Up Mass Survellance System For The Iranian Government To Monitor Its Civilians

Ayatollah Khamenei meets with visiting Chinese president Xi Jinping. Leader.ir

OilPrice.com: China Looks To Build Espionage Hub In Iran Under 25-Year Deal

The next phase of the 25-year deal between China and Iran will focus on a large-scale roll-out of electronic espionage and warfare capabilities focussed around the port of Chabahar and extending for a nearly 5,000 kilometer (3,000 mile) radius, and the concomitant build-out of mass surveillance and monitoring of the Iranian population, in line with the standard operating procedure across China, senior sources close to the Iranian government told OilPrice.com last week.

Both of these elements dovetail into Beijing’s strategic vision for Iran as a fully-functioning client state of China by the end of the 25-year period. By that time, Iran will be an irreplaceable geographical and geopolitical foundation stone in Beijing’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ project, as well as providing a large pool of young, well-educated, relatively cheap labor for Chinese industry. The mass surveillance, monitoring, and control systems to cover Iran’s population is to begin its full roll-out as from the second week of November, after the final agreement on event sequencing has been reached in the third week of October at a meeting between Iran’s most senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and intelligence services figures and their Chinese counterparts.

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WNU Editor: The ultimate goal for China will be the establishment of a military and intelligence base in Iran itself. This is the first step to achieve that goal.

Did President Trump Drive China And Iran Together?

Image: Chinese Ministry of National Defense (Photo by Zhang Yongjin)

Philip H. Gordon, War On The Rocks: Has Trump Driven China and Iran Together?

Recent reports that Iran and China are pursuing a long-term, economic and security partnership have set off alarm bells in the Trump administration, and rightly so. According to Iranian officials, the deal would vastly expand Chinese investments in banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, and dozens of other projects in exchange for Tehran supplying Beijing with discounted oil for the next 25 years. The deal would also potentially include joint military training, exercises, counter-terrorism cooperation, intelligence sharing, and arms transfers to Iran.

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WNU Editor: The above author believes this China - Iran alliance accelerated under President Trump. But this relationship/alliance has been ongoing way before President Trump even thought of running for the Presidency. From China selling missiles to Iran in 2011 .... China Is Selling Missiles To Iran In Violation Of UN Sanctions (November 3, 2011). Financial assistance in 2013 .... The Close Ties Between China And Iran (July 2, 2013). Banking assistance to the Revolutionary Guards in 2014 .... Report: Iran Uses Chinese Banks And Companies To Finance International Operations Of The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Elite Quds Force (November 18, 2014). Massive trade deal in 2016 .... Iran And China Have Agreed To A $600 Billion Trade Deal (January 23, 2016). Joint military exercises in 2017 .... Iran And China Conduct Joint Naval Exercises In The Strait Of Hormuz (June 19, 2017). President Trump did not drive China and Iran together. They were already together.

The China-Iran Strategic Partnership Will Change The Geopolitics In The Middle East

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tehran in 2016 (Iranian Presidency/AFP)

Shireen T Hunter, Middle East Eye: How Iran-China deal could alter the Middle East's balance of power

By giving China a permanent foothold in Iran, the agreement would enhance Beijing's regional position and undermine US strategic supremacy in the Gulf.

The Iranian government has reportedly approved a draft 25-year deal with China on economic and political cooperation. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, said it was a proud moment for Iranian diplomacy.

Tehran has not revealed the full details of the agreement, but a previous report by the Petroleum Economist suggests that Iran is set to grant huge concessions to China, including significant discounts on oil and gas, and the ability to delay payments for up to two years and to pay in soft currencies.

China would also be granted first refusal on opportunities to become involved with any petrochemicals projects in Iran. If implemented, this agreement would make Iran highly dependent on China economically, while Beijing would acquire a large and secure source of energy, as well as a foothold in the Gulf.

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Update: The China-Iran strategic partnership, and how it can change geopolitics in the Middle East (The Print)

WNU Editor: What's my read of this partnership. From what I have read and seen so far, this is a huge win for China. They will be able to buy Iranian crude at a huge discount and on credit (two year delay in paying). And when China does pay, they will pay using "soft currencies", which in this current situation will result in payments being made with currencies that will probably depreciate over two years. The Iranians will now also open their markets to Chinese products. So expect a flood of Chinese goods that will probably wipe out Iran's business class and industry. And then there is the security aspect of this agreement. Nothing has been made public on that, but knowing the Chinese from my own 35 years of dealing with them, they will be wanting access to Iranian ports for their military ships, and the deployment of military personnel to a base or two managed by them in Iran itself. In short. Because of Iranian pride in not wanting to deal and negotiate with the U.S. (i.e. the Great Satan), it looks like they have sold their soul to the Chinese.

China And Iran On The Verge Of Signing A 25 Year $400 Billion Military And Economic Agreement

Prior talks between Xi Jinping and Hassan Rouhani of Iran, file image via China Foreign Ministry.

Zero Hedge: China-Iran "Strategic Accord" To Give Tehran $400 Billion Boost Over Next 25 Years

China has remained Iran's top trading partner in what's become a crucial lifeline for the Islamic Republic, which is even turning into military and weapons supply assistance.

Early this week The New York Times reported that Iran and China have concluded lengthy negotiations for a long term trade and military partnership which is expected to see some $400 billion worth of Chinese investments pour into the Islamic Republic over the next 25 years.

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WNU Editor: Iran is negotiating from a terribly weak position. The fact that they have kept the details of their discussions secret is raising suspicions and doubts. Not surprising. Many in Iran are not supportive on what is happening .... Explainer: Anger Among Iranians Over Long-Term Deal With China (RFE).

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

Where Does China Stand On U.S.-Iran Tensions?

Daily Mail: China labels the U.S. the 'root cause' of heightened tensions in the Middle East after Trump urged Beijing to abandon the Iran nuclear deal

* Beijing also accused Washington of ignoring international law today
* It said the U.S. prevented other countries fulfiling their responsibility
* Came after Trump urged China and other nations to ditch the accord
* China's Foreign Ministry stressed the need to de-escalate tensions

China has labeled the United States the 'root cause' of heightened tensions in the Middle East after U.S. President Trump called on China and other nations to abandon the 'defective' Iran nuclear deal.

Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs today accused Washington of ignoring international law and its international duties with the proposal.

Geng Shuang, a spokesperson of the Ministry, condemned the U.S. for pulling out of the agreement one-sidedly. He said America was applying 'extreme pressure' on Iran and 'preventing' other countries from fulfiling their responsibility.

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WNU Editor: The Chinese relationship with Iran is built around money .... China and Iran: a relationship built on trade, weapons and oil (SCMP).

Will China Back Iran In A Conflict With The U.S.?

A PLA Navy destroyer, an Iranian Navy frigate, and a Russian frigate during joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. Photo provided by the Iranian Army office on December 28, 2019. Photo: AFP / Iranian Army office

Christina Lin, Asia Times: China might take Iran’s side in a war with US

Beijing’s ties with Tehran are crucial to its energy and geopolitical strategies, and with Moscow also in the mix, a broader conflagration is a real possibility.

After the US assassination of Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani on Friday, Germany’s Spiegel Online observed that this is akin to a declaration of war on Iran. Now the US Congress is scrambling for a debate on a formal declaration of war, although it will unlikely block the Trump White House’s march toward the battlefield.

Last March, President Donald Trump reviewed the Pentagon’s plan to send 120,000 US troops to counter Iran, and the current military buildup of deploying 3,500 more US troops to the region may be part of that plan. Also, in 2017, a think-tank that enjoys close ties with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Trump White House, sent a seven-page memo outlining plans for regime change in Iran, and the current scenario seems to be taken out of this playbook.

The next question is, how will regional powers react to a US-Iran war?

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WNU Editor: China is in the same position that the U.S. was for decades before they became energy independent. Reliant on Middle Eastern oil for their petroleum needs. China also has tens of billions of dollars invested in China, most of it in the energy sector. But aside from diplomacy, China is limited on what they could do if a shooting war erupts between Iran and the U.S. in the Middle East. Ditto for Russia. And then there is the internal situation in Iran itself. Many within the country are deeply dissatisfied with the rule of the mullahs, and it is not going to get better.

The Growing Russia-China-Iran Alliance

Credit: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office

Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, The Diplomat: What’s in the Growing Russia-China-Iran Trilateral Convergence?

Potential security engagements among the three have spotlighted their increasing convergence.

While much of the focus in terms of minilateral alignments in the Asian region tends to be on those involving U.S. allies and partners, be it the Quad or U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral dynamics, there are other arrangements beyond this as well. Of particular note are the arrangements that have been forged by China and Russia over the past few years.

One of these is the China-Russia-Iran relationship. Like many other arrangements, this represents the outgrowth of the combination of existing links between the three countries and recent convergences due to various trends and developments, including growing opposition to the United States that has risen further under President Donald Trump. And it continues to attract headlines about other countries that could join as well, including Pakistan.

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WNU Editor: For China it is all about oil. For Russia, it is providing energy to China and having allies in the Middle East. For Iran it is selling oil to China, and having security guarantees from both China and Russia.

Iran Confirms China Has Withdrawn From A Crucial $5 Billion Gas Project

Under terms of the initial deal, Total was to have a 50.1 percent stake, with CNPC getting 30 percent and the Iranian firm Petropars getting 19.9 percent [File Photo/Raheb Homavandi/Reuters]

RFE: Iran Says China Has Pulled Out Of South Pars Natural Gas Project

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh says China's national petroleum company has pulled out of a $5 billion deal to help develop Iran's giant South Pars natural gas field in the Persian Gulf.

The development, announced by Zanganeh on the ministry's SHANA website, comes amid economic pressure on both Iran and China from the United States.

It also follows a series of military confrontations in the area between Iran and the naval forces of Britain and the United States.

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WNU Editor: Many things can be read into this Chinese decision to abandon this Iranian project. My read is that the Chinese see this as a bad deal, complicated by sanctions and Iran's aggressive approach towards other oil exporting nations in the region. Bottom line. If given a choice between Iran or Saudi Arabia and other oil exporting nations in the Middle East, China is betting on Saudi Arabia and its allies.

More News On China Withdrawing From A Crucial $5 Billion Iran Gas Project

Iran says Chinese state oil firm withdraws from US$5 billion deal -- SCMP/AP

Iran says Chinese state oil firm withdraws from $5bn deal -- Al Jazeera

China Pulls Out of Giant Iranian Gas Project -- The Wall Street Journal

In Huge Blow, Iran Confirms China Has Exited Crucial $5 Billlion Gas Project -- Zero Hedge

Chinese And Iranian Foreign Ministers Meet In Beijing

SCMP: Iranian foreign minister holds talks in Beijing after surprise visit to G7 summit

* Mohammad Javad Zarif meets his counterpart Wang Yi after tweeting he planned to present a 25-year road map on countries’ strategic partnership

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Beijing on Monday after a surprise appearance
at the Group of Seven summit in France over the weekend – a move highlighting China’s close relationship with Iran, which is in a stand-off with the US over its nuclear programme.

Zarif tweeted in the afternoon that he had arrived in Beijing after a stopover in Tehran. He said that he planned to present his Chinese hosts with a 25-year road map on the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, which was signed in 2016, and that Tehran would actively contribute to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.

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More News On Chinese And Iranian Foreign Ministers Meeting In Beijing

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in Beijing for talks -- AP
China, Iran support multilateralism as foreign ministers meet in Beijing -- China Daily
Chinese FM holds talks with Iranian Foreign Minister -- Global Times
Iran turns to Asian allies to seek relief from US sanctions -- France 24
‘Important days ahead’, Zarif says on China-Japan-Malaysia tour -- MEHR News Agency

China Offers Strong Support To Iran During U.S. Tensions

Reuters: China backs Iran during U.S. tensions

BEIJING (Reuters) - China offered strong support to Iran on Friday, with its top diplomat telling Iran’s foreign minister that China opposes unilateral sanctions and supports Tehran’s efforts to safeguard its interests.

U.S.-Iranian tensions have escalated in recent days, bringing increasing concerns about possible conflict.

Iran has said it is committed to its obligations under an international nuclear deal despite the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement last year, and has called the re-imposition of U.S sanctions unacceptable.

Meeting in Beijing, Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi told Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that given the important and rapidly-evolving situation, the two needed to strengthen communication and coordination.

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Update #1: Who Wins When U.S.-Iran Tensions Rise? China (Jon B. Alterman, Defense One)
Update #2: Will China play a role in lessening US pressure on Iran? (Mohsen Shariatinia, Al-Monitor)

WNU Editor: China is Iran's biggest oil customer, and China needs oil .... China Restarts Purchases of Iranian Oil, Bucking Trump’s Sanctions (Bourse and Bazaar). I am also willing to bet that China is getting a big discount for this oil. I hope it is worth it.

China Finds A Way To Violate U.S. Sanctions On Iran

Refined products such as fuel oil were not covered by the temporary waivers granted on sanctions reintroduced last November. Photo: Reuters

SCMP/Reuters: Iranian fuel oil shipped in violation of US sanctions is unloaded in China, tracking data shows

* It was previously reported that some oil had evaded sanctions on petroleum exports by using ship-to-ship transfers involving four ships
* The unloading comes after US upped moves to choke off Iran’s oil exports by scrapping waivers granted to big buyers including China

A tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil in violation of US sanctions has unloaded the cargo into storage tanks near the Chinese city of Zhoushan, according to ship tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon.

The discharging of the nearly 130,000 tonnes of Iranian fuel oil on board the tanker Marshal Z, confirmed by a representative of the oil storage terminal, marks the end of an odyssey for the cargo that began four months ago.

Reuters reported on March 20 that some Iranian fuel oil had managed to evade the United States’ sanctions on petroleum exports by using ship-to-ship transfers involving four different ships, including the Marshal Z, and by using forged documents that masked the cargoes as originating from Iraq.

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WNU Editor: The White House was predicting this last month .... No wind-down for China on stopping its Iran oil buys: Trump officials (Reuters). As for the present, it should surprise no one that the Iranian foreign minister is travelling to China tomorrow .... Iran top diplomat to visit China on Friday: state media (France 24).

Has China Stopped Buying Oil From Iran?

OilPrice.com: Iran Suffers Longest Gap In Oil Shipments To China Since 2015

Two supertankers left Iran’s oil terminal Kharg Island en route to China late on Wednesday—the first Iranian oil shipment to its single biggest oil customer in 18 days, which was the longest gap between crude-laden tankers departing for China in three years, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Bloomberg started compiling ship tracking data in July 2015, and the period between August 25 and September 12 this year was the longest period without tankers leaving Iran and heading to China since tracking began.

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Update: Iran Endures Longest Gap in China Oil Buying in at Least 3 Years (Bloomberg)

WNU Editor: Iran is being forced to store its oil in tanker .... Iran Resumes Storing Oil In Tankers As U.S. Sanctions Approach (OilPrice.com).

China Vows To Buy Iran Oil Despite U.S. Sanctions

A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi

Reuters: China defies U.S. pressure as EU parts ways with Iranian oil

BEIJING/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - China, seeking to skirt U.S. sanctions, will use oil tankers from Iran for its purchases of that country’s crude, throwing Tehran a lifeline while European companies such as France’s Total are walking away due to fear of reprisals from Washington.

The United States is trying to halt Iranian oil exports in an effort to force Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement and to curb its influence in the Middle East.

China, which has cut imports of U.S. crude amid a trade war with Washington, has said it opposes unilateral sanctions and defended its commercial ties with Iran.

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Update: China moves to keep buying Iranian oil despite US sanctions: report (The Hill)

WNU Editor: This hurts .... French oil giant Total officially quits US sanctions-hit Iran (France 24).

China Will Host Iran At A Regional Summit To Avoid Disruption Of Joint Projects

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, April 23, 2015. / Zhang Duo / Xinhua

Reuters: China to host Iran to avoid project disruption amid nuclear deal doubt

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will host Iranian President Hassan Rouhani next month at a regional summit aimed at avoiding disruption of joint projects, its foreign ministry said on Monday, as major powers scramble to save Iran’s nuclear deal after the United States pulled out.

Rouhani will pay a working visit to China and attend the summit of the China and Russia-led security bloc the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the ministry said.

It did not give exact dates for his visit, but the summit is scheduled to be held on the second weekend of June in the northern Chinese city of Qingdao.

Iran is currently an observer member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, though it has long sought full membership.

“Our hope is that China and Iran will have close consultation on the basis of observing the deal and push forward development of bilateral cooperation,” Chinese deputy foreign minister Zhang Hanhui said at a briefing.

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WNU Editor: It is all about the oil .... No matter what Trump says on Iran, China will probably ignore him (CNBC).

Iran And China Conduct Joint Naval Exercises In The Strait Of Hormuz

Picture taken on June 14, 2017 shows a vessel belonging to a Chinese naval group docking at the southern Iran port city of Bandar Abbas. (Photo by IRNA)

RT: Iran & China conduct joint naval exercises in strategic Strait of Hormuz

Iranian and Chinese Naval forces are participating in joint drills in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The naval maneuvers come amid growing tensions between the US and Iran, as Washington prepares a new round of sanctions against Tehran.

A total of four vessels and two helicopters displayed their military capabilities on Sunday during a day of joint exercises in the strait connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

The Chinese fleet, which includes the Chang Chun guided-missile destroyer, the Chao Hu replenishment ship, the Jin Zhou frigate, and a helicopter, arrived in the Iranian southern port of Bandar Abbas on Thursday. An Iranian destroyer and a helicopter joined them for the drills.

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WNU Editor: China wants a presence to make sure that the oil keeps on flowing.

More News On Iran And China Conducting Joint Naval Exercises In The Strait Of Hormuz

Iran, China begin naval drill in Strait of Hormuz -- Press TV (Iran)
Chinese fleet docked in Iran for cementing friendly ties -- Mehr News Agency (Iran)
Iran, China Stage Joint Naval Drill -- Tasnim News Agency (Iran)
Iran and China conduct naval drill in Gulf -- Reuters
Iran, China hold joint naval drill in Persian Gulf -- ABC News/AP
China and Iran conduct joint naval drill in Strait of Hormuz -- Jerusalem Online

The China - Iran Missile Connection

Iran successfully completed a test-launch of a new long-range ballistic missile, Emad, reported the Iranian Ministry of Defense, Tehran, Oct. 11, 2015. (photo by FNA/Iranian Defense Ministry)

Washington Times: Sanctions highlight China-Iran missile connection

The Trump administration recently imposed sanctions on Iran for its missile test, and the sanctions reveal that Tehran’s missile program is backed by covert assistance from China.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. sanctions, said last week that a “Chinese-based network” was helping procure goods for Iran’s ballistic missile program.

The sanctions designated 13 people and 12 companies who were placed under the Treasury restrictions that prohibit any U.S. companies from doing financial transactions with them. The action followed a flight test Jan. 29 of an Iranian medium-range missile that failed a short time after launch.

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WNU Editor: Why China trusts Iran with this technology is beyond me. I guess they need the oil.

Iran And China Agree To Cooperate On Defense-Military Issues

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Chinese counterpart General Chang Wanquan. Tasnim

Press TV (Iran): Iran, China sign agreement to boost defense-military cooperation

Iran and China have signed an agreement to boost defense-military cooperation and fight terrorism.

The agreement was inked by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Chinese counterpart General Chang Wanquan in Tehran on Monday at the end of an earlier meeting between the two sides.

“The development of [Iran’s] long-term defense-military relations and cooperation with China is among the top priorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s defense diplomacy,” Dehqan said in the meeting.
He added that the two countries’ defense-military cooperation would guarantee regional and international peace and security.

He emphasized that all countries in Asia and the Oceania shoulder the responsibility to maintain peace and stability.

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More News On China And Iran Agreeing To Cooperate On Defense Issues

Iran and China sign military cooperation agreement -- AP
Iran, China Ink Deal on Defense Cooperation -- Tasnim News Agency
China, Iran pledge to deepen military exchange -- Xinhuanet
Iran, China to Hold Joint Military Drills – Iranian Army Chief of Staff -- Sputnik
Iran Ready for Joint Military Drills with China: Top General -- Tasnim News Agency

Iran And China Have Agreed To A $600 Billion Trade Deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tehran, Iran January 23, 2016.REUTERS/President.ir/Handout via Reuters

Reuters: Iran, China agree $600-billion trade deal after sanctions

Iran and China agreed to expand bilateral ties and increase trade to $600 billion in the next 10 years, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday during a visit to Tehran by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi is the second leader of a U.N. Security Council member to visit Tehran after the nuclear deal Iran struck with world powers last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tehran in November.

Iran emerged from years of economic isolation this month when the United Nations' nuclear watchdog ruled it had curbed its nuclear program, clearing the way for the lifting of U.N., U.S., and European Union sanctions.

"Iran and China have agreed to increase trade to $600 billion in the next 10 years," Rouhani said at a news conference with Xi broadcast live on state television.

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Update #1: China, Iran Agree to Expand Trade to $600 Billion in a Decade (Bloomberg)
Update #2: Iran, China Agree To $600 Billion Trade Deal After Sanctions Lifted (RFE)

WNU Editor: I had to do a double-take on the $600 billion number (over 10 years)..

Major Chinese - Iranian Arms Deals In The Works?

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (L) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping before the opening ceremony of the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit in Shanghai May 21, 2014.

Joel Wuthnow, National Interest: Are Chinese Arms About to Flood Into Iran?

Ahead of Xi’s visit to Tehran, Sino-Iranian military cooperation looks to expand.

China is often regarded as one of the prime beneficiaries of the Iran nuclear deal, signed in July 2015 with the P5+1 countries. Under the deal, Iran will limit its uranium enrichment and make other changes to its nuclear program in exchange for the termination of sanctions. This potential opening could provide Chinese state-owned energy companies a chance to increase their involvement with Iran’s oil and natural gas industries, and Iran could become a more important export market for a range of Chinese products. Beijing may also assist Tehran in building infrastructure as part of the massive Eurasian development project known as “One Belt, One Road,” as well as offer financing through the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Many agreements are likely to be announced during Chinese president Xi Jinping’s inaugural visit to Iran, planned for late January.

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WNU Editor: China is now Iran's #1 trading partner .... China Becomes Iran’s Largest Trade Partner (Washington Free Beacon). And while arms and weapons sales have not been on the agenda between the two countries recently, Chinese Preisdent Xi's visit to Iran at the end of this month is going to open a lot of doors .... and selling arms is going to be on the top of that list .... Report: Iran Ramping Up Military Purchases from Russia, China (Washington Free Beacon).