In the aftermath of the failed Iranian attack on Israel, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi rushed to defend Tehran’s aggression. In doublespeak worthy of George Orwell’s 1984, he described the wave of missiles and drones as an act of “self-defense,” and even claimed it would “spare the region further turmoil.” Wang’s comments may have been absurd, but they nonetheless reveal much about Beijing’s position on the growing conflict in the Middle East.
Although it claims to take a “friend of all” approach to the region, the Chinese Communist Party is in fact one of the Islamic Republic’s greatest supporters. As early as 2020, the two regimes signed a formal economic and security pact to increase cooperation. The CCP provides the ayatollahs diplomatic cover for their bald-faced aggression and an economic lifeline in the midst of their international isolation. In addition, the two countries participate in joint military exercises and share intelligence with each other.
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