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China and Iran: a relationship built on trade, weapons and oil
–Kristin Huang
Published: 7:30am, 9 Jan, 2020–
Beijing supplied military hardware to Tehran in the Iran-Iraq war and has been among its top three arms suppliers in the past decade
China remains Iran’s top trade partner, but oil imports slumped after US sanctions
Amid its long-running conflict with the US, Iran has increasingly turned to China for aid to boost its military and to help protect its economy from trade sanctions imposed by Washington.
The strong ties between Beijing and Tehran have been evident in recent days as tensions have risen in the Middle East, triggered by the killing of Iran’s top military chief Qassem Soleimani by the US in Iraq. Tehran responded with a missile attack on US forces in Iraq.
China’s envoy to Iran, Chang Hua, has said Beijing remained committed to its partnership with Tehran. Zhai Jun, China’s special representative for the Middle East, visited Tehran for a security dialogue on Monday and Tuesday, when he said some “external nations” were stirring provocations, without naming the US.
China remains Iran’s biggest trading partner, but its oil imports from the country have fallen sharply as a result of US sanctions. In November 2019, the last available data, China imported 547,758 tonnes of Iranian oil, down from 3.07 million tonnes in April, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. Trade between China and Iran in 2018 totaled US$35.13 billion, with crude oil accounting for about half, or US$15 billion.
In 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled out of an agreement aimed at curtailing Iran’s nuclear development programme and reimposed crippling sanctions on its economy.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3045253/china-and-iran-relationship-built-trade-weapons-and-oil