Page 9 - MEOG Week 50 2022

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Iran, China at odds following

Xi visit to Saudi Arabia

IRAN/SAUDI IRAN’S foreign ministry on December 10 took China and Iran last year signed a 25-year
the rare move of summoning China’s ambassa- cooperation agreement last year, seen as a
dor to Tehran after Beijing issued a joint state- roadmap to potentially massive investments
ment with Arab states that controversially dealt worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Progress
with the matter of three long-disputed islands in on realising any of the investments, however, is
the Strait of Hormuz. slow.
Though there was clear anger in Tehran at They issued a joint statement, which con-
the move, Iran’s leadership was obviously tak- tained several clauses that directly dealt with
ing pains not to upset China with its response Iranian affairs, its nuclear programme, and its
to the statement—instead of announcing that regional activities.
it was “summoning” the Chinese envoy, the The statement signed by Xi and his GCC
Iranian foreign ministry said the ambassador counterparts also referred to ensuring the peace-
“had a visit” with a foreign ministry official, dur- ful and civilian nature of the Iranian nuclear pro-
ing which Tehran’s “strong dissatisfaction” was gramme and called on Tehran to fully cooperate
conveyed. with the International Atomic Energy Agency
The controversy blew up as Chinese Pres- (IAEA). On December 11, Saudi Arabia’s top
ident Xi Jinping visited Iran’s arch-rival Saudi diplomat remarked that “all bets are off” if Iran
Arabia on December 9. He also met leaders of “gets an operational nuclear weapon”.
the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. China and the GCC member states also in the
Tehran was observing the visit like a hawk as Iran statement referred to the need for dialogue on
and Saudi Arabia are competitors when it comes Iran’s “destabilising regional activities” and “sup-
to the provision of huge volumes of crude oil to port for terrorist and sectarian groups and illegal
Beijing. armed organisations”.
The bone of contention unearthed by the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser
Chinese-Arab joint statement is the ownership Kanani registered “surprise” at how the state-
of the islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and ment included the Iran-related clauses.
Abu Musa, governed by Iran since 1971 but Xi’s visit was partly arranged for the first Chi-
claimed by the UAE. na-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC
It was in 1971 that the then-shah of Iran Summit.
dispatched the Iranian royal navy to the three During his stay in Saudi Arabia, Xi also held
islands after the British withdrew their armed bilateral meetings with nearly 20 Arab leaders.
forces from territories that are today the UAE. As anger grew in Iran over the outcome of
Iran has ever since rejected statements from Xi’s visit, Iranian newspapers hit out at China.
Emirati leaders that the islands belong to the Ham-Mihan headlined an article, “China’s Turn-
UAE. The inhabitants of the islands are all Per- around on Iran”.
sian-speaking Arabs who use the Bandari dialect The daily Aftab was no less scathing about
of Persian, which is infused with Arabic words the Chinese. It published images of protesters
and syntax. in China, asking “Did the Chinese government
Xi and the GCC leaders signed a statement hear the voice of the protesters?”
that urged “bilateral negotiations in accordance Reformist Etemad on December 11 asked,
with the rules of international law, and to resolve “What is China’s plan for the Middle East?”
this issue [over the sovereignty of the islands] in Later on December 11, Iran’s National Security
accordance with international legitimacy”. In Committee said “China’s interference in Iran’s
signing the statement, China crossed a red line internal affairs conflicts with good international
in Iran’s eyes as Tehran’s standpoint remains that cooperation.”
it will not countenance any talks on the islands. China’s government-controlled Global
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Ab- Times on December 12 declared that Xi’s visit to
dollahian asserted in a tweet that the islands were Saudi Arabia opened a new chapter of relations
“inseparable parts of Iran’s pure soil”. between the Arabs and the Chinese.
But he ran into social media criticism for Chinese media were generally very upbeat
not naming China in his observations and for about the new relations between the GCC and
only writing in Farsi, whereas in the past he has Beijing, predicting the Arabs and Chinese would
tweeted both in Farsi and in Chinese in support boost their cooperation in multiple fields over
of China’s territorial integrity. the next few months and years.™

Week 50 14•December•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9