Information
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this week, describing the relationship between China and Russia as “precious” and calling for deeper cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, Lavrov offered to increase Russia’s energy supplies to China to help offset disruptions caused by the Iran war, including shipping constraints through the Strait of Hormuz. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to visit China soon.
China has positioned itself as a stabilizing force amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with several world leaders meeting Xi this week, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vietnamese leader To Lam. Gulf countries are reportedly hoping China will use its influence over Iran to reduce attacks on neighboring countries and bring Tehran to the negotiation table. Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, noted that China holds leverage over Iran and there are growing expectations that it will use that influence more directly.
Source: AFP, AP, Reuters
So What
The Iran situation is likely highly beneficial for Russia, particularly in terms of energy sales to India and China. While China has attempted to position itself as a stabilizing force in the region, it is highly unlikely to deploy military assets in numbers large enough to deter the United States. A more probable course of action is that China will continue to supply Iran with weapons and equipment, with the intention of drawing the US further into another Middle East conflict. Regardless of China’s approach, this is unlikely to have a significant impact on American decision-making.
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