China’s strategic pragmatism ...
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It is also clear that China’s position can serve as political backing and a limited model within the current unjust global system, particularly for countries that have deeper economic ties with Beijing or engage more closely with China through frameworks such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Belt and Road Initiative. China is showing in this regard that international trade can continue without fully complying with unilateral sanctions and that reliable domestic legal and financial tools can be put in place to resist unfettered unilateralism. In addition to creating a degree of confidence among third countries, this approach will significantly raise the political cost of illegal US pressure.
Balance-oriented approach
Under such circumstances, intensified US pressure on Chinese companies could deepen Tehran-Beijing operational and tactical cooperation in areas such as energy, logistics and sanctions evasion. However, it should not be forgotten that such engagement does not amount to a full strategic alliance or mean that Beijing will abandon its principle of maintaining a balance. As a major country and global power, China has consistently sought to balance its interests with Iran — including direct access to competitively priced energy, influence in the Middle East and opposition to unilateralism — with the management of its relations with the United States, including massive bilateral trade, technology and global financial stability. Beijing regards Iran as an important strategic partner, but there is no doubt that it defines its top priorities as domestic development, energy security through diversified sources and avoiding direct confrontation with Washington. Although the US irrational escalation of pressure under the Trump administration could push Beijing toward more overt support and the development of more resilient mechanisms against US unilateralism, Beijing’s balance-oriented approach will continue within this framework. Overall, China’s position toward this new chapter of US unilateralism can be described as a real but conditional shield.
The Islamic Republic of Iran can use this environment to strengthen bilateral mechanisms, diversify its partners and reduce its vulnerability to US military aggression and economic pressure. The Chinese logic in such cases is “strategic pragmatism,” not anti-Western ideology, and the long-term success of Tehran-Beijing relations depends on Tehran’s ability to offer Beijing sustainable and predictable benefits. Today, Iran, drawing on its considerable capacity for national resilience in the face of aggression by two nuclear powers and half a century of relentless economic pressure, as well as its unique geopolitical and territorial assets — including the Strait of Hormuz, the Makran coast, the Caspian Sea, maritime and land borders with 15 countries, and a rich and resilient civilization that has infused the “Iranian spirit” into the body of 90 million civilized, powerful and self-confident people — finds itself at a critical and historic juncture. By developing a precise and strategic understanding of this unique position, Iran can help reshape future equations in West Asia in cooperation with powers such as China and other regional actors, while playing a key role in scenarios such as “Persian Gulf collective security” and a “new West Asian order,” both of which have been endorsed and emphasized by Beijing.