Enemy of My Enemy

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday, in a three-day trip aimed at shoring up ties and strengthening cooperation between the two US rivals, the Associated Press reported.

The official visit comes months after Raisi and Xi met during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan. The Chinese leader told Raisi that Beijing viewed its relations with Iran from a “strategic and long-term perspective” and was ready to increase communication and coordination with Iran.

China is a major buyer of Iranian oil and a significant investor in the country. Iran and China inked a 25-year strategic cooperation deal in 2021, covering important economic industries such as oil and mining, as well as industry, transportation, and agriculture.

Analysts told the South China Morning Post that the meeting is also expected to improve ties following a row over a joint statement made by Xi and leaders of the Gulf countries in December.

The joint declaration, which concluded a summit between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Saudi Arabia, stated that GCC member the United Arab Emirates should use negotiations to address its territorial disputes with Iran over islands in the Strait of Hormuz.

The move raised tensions between Iran and China, prompting Beijing to send a delegation with Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua to help defuse the situation. Hu said Beijing strongly backed Iran’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and that China was willing to work with Iran to enhance bilateral cooperation.

Both nations have tense relations with the US and have attempted to position themselves alongside Russia as a counterweight to American dominance.

Still, observers said there remained “substantial complications” in the bilateral relationship, referring to Iran’s stance on the Ukraine war and its hostilities with other Middle Eastern countries that China partners with for energy.