Лев и дракон: новый этап китайско-иранского стратегического партнёрства

CONCLUSION

In the face of ever-deeper confrontation with Washington, China's policy of non-interference in conflicts and disputes in the Middle East, avoiding a policy of controversy and remaining an equal trading partner for all oil and gas exporters in the `region` cannot last forever. If, until recently, Beijing did not seek competition with the United States, and it did not have to deploy its armed forces in the `region` to protect its assets, now it is difficult to predict how much Beijing is ready to escalate the confrontation with Washington over Tehran, to what extent China is ready to resist U.S. sanctions, which are likely to be introduced by the United States after the entry into force of the Iran-China Treaty agreement. In addition, it is unclear how the difficult internal political situation in Iran will develop today, shortly before the presidential elections in May 2021. And it is impossible to predict how the results of the U.S. presidential election will affect this whole complex of problems.

It can be assumed that the Sino-Iranian deal could call into question the superiority of the U.S. in the Persian Gulf and strengthen China's international positions, since, by pursuing a hostile policy towards Iran, the U.S. itself can limit its strategic choices and become an object of manipulation by its regional partners - Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Meanwhile, a return to the "nuclear deal" and the lifting of sanctions will allow European and American companies to revive moderate forces in Iran and, in the long run, lead to better political relations.

On the other hand, the Iran-China deal is intended to show that both countries have alternatives to the West, even if many of the mentioned projects never come to fruition. While Sino-Iranian relations are still far from forming a new axis, recent talks show that by increasing pressure on China and Iran, the U.S. encouraged the two countries to form a common front.