Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi visits China for the first time: Should the West be worried?

There’s a very famous proverb that reads ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’ and in modern diplomacy, this adage seems to hold true. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi will begin his three-day visit to China starting today during which he will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The meeting is bound to be closely observed by Western powers, especially the United States; both countries are opposed to the Washington-led Western domination of international affairs. The three-day visit is also an attempt by Beijing to mend ties with Tehran after a diplomatic row over a joint statement by China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in December. As all eyes turn to Beijing for the meeting, we give you the full lowdown on who’s visiting, what’s on the agenda and why the US and the West would be keeping a close eye on matters down there. Who’s visiting China? Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to China is the first state visit by an Iranian leader to the country in almost two decades. Prior to this, the two leaders held a phone talk and had a face-to-face meeting in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand in July and September last year respectively. Raisi’s high-profile visit is at the invitation of Chinese president Xi Jinping, said officials earlier last week. According to reported information, Raisi is leading the biggest delegation to Beijing. Six members of his Cabinet, including ministers of economy, petroleum, foreign affairs, trade, transport and urban development, and agriculture are part of the delegation. Other businessmen are also part of Raisi’s delegation to Beijing, with Al Jazeera reporting that even Iran’s new central bank governor is visiting. It has been said that besides meeting Xi Jinping, Iran’s Raisi, who assumed office in August 2021, will also meet Premier Li Keqiang and Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. What’s on the cards for the visit? Ahead of his visit to Beijing, Raisi penned an opinion editorial for one of China’s daily newspapers in which he welcomed expanding bilateral ties. In the editorial, Raisi said his country appreciates China’s important role in the fight against COVID-19 and its support for Iran’s efforts to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Raisi also envisioned greater bilateral cooperation under the plan for China-Iran comprehensive cooperation, a blueprint that the two countries signed in 2021. It is being said that the visit is the perfect opportunity for both the countries to enhance ties and in furtherance to this, delegations from both sides are due to sign “cooperation documents”. Mohammad Jamshidi, deputy director of political affairs at the Iranian president’s office, said on Sunday that the visit will be of “economic, political and strategic importance”, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani added to the comments, saying that important issues of common interest will figure in discussions between Iranian and Chinese officials, with a focus on the 25-year strategic agreement. When it comes to trade, the two countries have deep relations and the visit is expected to build on this. In fact, despite the many Western sanctions imposed on them, China remains Iran’s largest trade partner, with data for the first 10 months of the current Iranian calendar year that ends in March showing Iran exported $12.6 billion worth of goods to China and imported $12.7 billion. [caption id=“attachment_12151702” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] China and Iran have deep relations. China remains Iran’s largest trade partner despite the Western sanctions. Image used for representational purposes/AFP[/caption] Moreover, China also continues to buy oil from Iran. While the exact figures are not known, a number of companies that track data have said Iran’s oil exports hit new highs in the last two months of 2022 and had a strong start to 2023. As Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin was quoted as saying, “China and Iran enjoy a traditional friendship, and it is the strategic choice of both sides to consolidate and develop China-Iran relations.” According to Fan Hongda, professor at the Shanghai International Studies University’s Middle East Studies Institute, Raisi will also raise the issue of the revival of the Iran’s nuclear deal. According to Tehran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency, Raisi’s delegation includes Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs and top nuclear negotiator. “From this list, it’s not hard to see in which areas the two sides are going to hold discussions and in which areas the two sides are more likely to achieve progress,” Fan was quoted as telling the South China Morning Post. Besides enhancing trade ties and the nuclear deal, the Iranian leader’s visit is also an attempt by Beijing to appease Tehran. Iran-China ties took a dip in December 2021 due to the controversy related to the Gulf Cooperation Council-China statement, during Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia. The statement had called on Iran to “ensure the peaceful nature” of its nuclear program, and “respect for the principles of good-neighbourliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.” Also read: What Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia means for India and the world It also backed the UAE’s demand for the “resolution of the dispute” over the three Persian Gulf islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, riling up Tehran. In response, Iran’s foreign minister at the time said the Islamic Republic “will not allow any country” to disrespect its territorial integrity, in a message directed at Beijing. Many geopolitical experts note that Raisi’s visit is an attempt to ease the tensions that had simmered and also bring both the West-opposed nations closer together. As Zhu Yongbiao, executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times, “Cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will give China and Iran more space for cooperation. It is foreseeable that after this meeting, China-Iran relations will enter a new and higher stage.” What the visit means for the West? As stated earlier, the West — especially the US — will keep a close watch on this visit, as it could change the geopolitics of the region. One has to note here that China and Iran have tense relations with the United States and both countries are seeking to project themselves as a counterweight to American power alongside Russia. Also read: What danger can the Russia-Iran friendship pose? The US-China ties are fraught and the spy balloon episode has only worsened the relations. The issue of Taiwan continues to be another thorn in the ties between the two nuclear-powered nations. When it comes to Iran, the US ties aren’t any better. In recent times, Washington has accused Iran of selling hundreds of attack drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and also sanctioned executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer. The US has also been critical of Iran and its handling of anti-hijab protests that broke out since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September last year. Last December, the US had imposed sanctions on top Iranian officials, including the prosecutor general and key military officials. Deploring the role these officials are playing in the crackdown and the subsequent executions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement said, “We again call on Iran’s leadership to immediately cease its violent crackdown and to listen to its people. We will continue to promote accountability for those involved as we support the Iranian people.” As per an Associated Press report, Raisi had lambasted the US for conducting a “failed policy of destabilisation” targeting his nation and described the protests as a plot against Iran by its enemies abroad. Only time will tell what fruits this visit bears, but keep watching this space for more. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .